plant named ‘BKPBEELA’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Begonia plant named ‘BKPBEELA’, characterized by its broadly upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; moderately freely basal branching habit; medium-size leaves; uniform and freely flowering habit; and flowers that are salmon pink in color on both the upper and lower surfaces.

Description

Botanical designation: Begonia hiemalis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BKPBEELA’.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO CLOSELY RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Begonia Plant Named ‘BKPBECSA’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/507,634).

Applicant: Annie Cornelia Beekenkamp.

Filed: Concurrently with this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Begonia plant, botanically known as Begonia hiemalis, commercially referred to as a Elatior Begonia and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘BKPBEELA’.

The new Begonia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Amstelveen, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new freely branching and freely flowering Begonia plants with attractive foliage and flower colors.

The new Begonia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in September, 2006 of a proprietary selection of Begonia hiemalis identified as code number 06-289-03, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Begonia hiemalis identified as code number 6500604, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Begonia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Amstelveen, The Netherlands in November, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Begonia plant by tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Amstelveen, The Netherlands since August, 2008 has shown that the unique features of this new Begonia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Begonia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘BKPBEELA’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘BKPBEELA’ as a new and distinct Begonia plant:

• • 1. Broadly upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit.
  • 2. Moderately freely basal branching habit.
  • 3. Medium-size leaves.
  • 4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.
  • 5. Flowers that are salmon pink in color on both the upper and lower surfaces.

Plants of the new Begonia can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Begonia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection primarily in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Leaves of plants of the new Begonia are glabrous whereas leaves of plants of the female parent selection are slightly pubescent.
  • 2. Plants of the new Begonia and the female parent selection differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection have yellow-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Begonia can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Begonia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Begonia have darker green-colored leaves than plants of the male parent selection.
  • 2. Plants of the new Begonia have double type flowers whereas plants of the male parent selection have single type flowers.
  • 3. Plants of the new Begonia have larger flowers than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Begonia can be compared to plants of the Begonia ‘BKPBECSA’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/507,633. Plants of the new Begonia and ‘BKPBECSA’ differ primarily in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Begonia flower about five days earlier than plants of ‘BKPBECSA’.
  • 2. Plants of the new Begonia are more freely flowering than plants of ‘BKPBECSA’.

Plants of the new Begonia can also be compared to plants of the Begonia ‘Peggy’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,676. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Amstelveen, The Netherlands, plants of the new Begonia differed from plants of ‘Peggy’ in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Begonia were not as compact as plants of ‘Peggy’.
  • 2. Plants of the new Begonia were more freely flowering than plants of ‘Peggy’.
  • 3. Plants of the new Begonia and ‘Peggy’ differed in flower color as plants of ‘Peggy’ had dark pink and light yellow bi-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Begonia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Begonia plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘BKPBEELA’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close up view of the upper and lower surfaces of typical flower buds, flowers and leaves of ‘BKPBEELA’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements were grown in 12-cm containers during the winter in a glass-covered greenhouse in Maasdijk, The Netherlands. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 19° C. to 20° C., night temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 19° C. and light levels averaged 7,000 lux. Plants were eleven weeks old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

• Botanical classification: Begonia hiemalis ‘BKPBEELA’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Begonia hiemalis identified as code number 06-289-03, not patented.
    • Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Begonia hiemalis identified as code number 6500604, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—By tip cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About 20 days at temperatures of about 25° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and winter.—About 35 to 36 days at temperatures of about 21° C. to 23° C.
    • Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; light brown in color; plants of the new Begonia have not been observed to form tubers.
    • Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; medium density.
• Plant description:
  • • Plant form and growth habit.—Broadly upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; plant shape roughly globular; moderately freely basal branching with about four basal branches per plant; moderately vigorous growth habit.
    • Plant height.—About 17.9 cm.
    • Plant width.—About 27.1 cm.
    • Branch description.—Length: About 10.2 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm. Texture: Moderately pubescent. Aspect: Upright to about 30° from vertical. Color, developing: Close to 144A. Color, fully developed: Close to 146A.
    • Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 8.9 cm. Width: About 7.8 cm. Shape: Broadly ovate to reniform. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Oblique to hastate. Margin: Bi-serrate. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Texture, lower surface: Sparsely to moderately pubescent. Venation pattern: Palmate; reticulate. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A tinged with close to N199A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 183B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Darker than between 139A and 147A; venation, close to 137B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 178A; venation, close to 146B. Petioles: Length: About 3.9 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 146B, distally, strongly tinged with close to 182A. Color, lower surface: Close to 146B.
• Flower description:
  • • Flowering habit.—Double rotate sterile flowers arranged in axillary compound cymes; freely flowering habit with about 16 flowers per cyme and about 200 flowers developing per plant; flowers face upright to outwardly.
    • Fragrance.—None detected.
    • Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about 65 days after planting; long flowering period, plants flower freely and continuously from spring until autumn in The Netherlands.
    • Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about ten days on the plant; flowers not persistent.
    • Inflorescence height.—About 12.6 cm.
    • Inflorescence diameter.—About 10.3 cm.
    • Flower diameter.—About 5 cm.
    • Flower height.—About 1.8 cm.
    • Flower buds.—Length: About 2.1 cm. Diameter, flattened: About 2.1 cm. Shape, flattened: Orbicular. Color: Close to 43D; towards the apex, close to 43C; towards the base, close to 48D.
    • Tepals.—Quantity per flower and arrangement: About four in a single whorl. Length: About 3.2 cm. Width: About 3 cm. Shape: Broadly obovate to orbicular. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; slightly velvety. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 41C; towards the apex, close to 40C; towards the base, close to 41D. When opening, lower surface: Close to 47C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 48C; color does not change with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 48C; margins, close to 48B; color does not change with development.
    • Tepaloids.—Quantity per flower and arrangement: About eight in about two whorls. Length: About 1.5 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; slightly velvety. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 41C. When opening, lower surface: Close to 48B. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 43D; color does not change with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 48C; color does not change with development.
    • Peduncles.—Length: About 6.8 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Angle: About 30° from branch axis. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 152A.
    • Pedicels.—Length: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle: About 40° from the peduncle axis. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to N199C to N199D.
    • Reproductive organs.—Reproductive organ development has not been observed on flowers of plants of the new Begonia.
    • Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development production has not been observed on plants of the new Begonia.
• Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to Begonia has not been observed on plants of the new Begonia.
• Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Begonia have been observed to tolerate temperatures from about 14° C. to about 35° C.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Begonia plant named ‘BKPBEELA’ as illustrated and described.