plant named ‘Fipetpurheart’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Fipetpurheart’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and mounding growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; large purple-colored flowers with dark purple-colored venation; and good garden performance.

Description

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘FIPETPURHEART’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Petunia plant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fipetpurheart’.

The new Petunia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely-branching Petunia plants with early and freely flowering habit, and attractive flower color.

The new Petunia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2008 in De Lier, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code number For 111060, not patented, as the female, or seed parent with a proprietary selection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code number For 111070. The new Petunia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands in 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands since 2009 has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Petunia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural conditions. 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 ‘Fipetpurheart’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fipetpurheart’ as a new and distinct Petunia plant:

• • 1. Upright, outwardly spreading and mounding growth habit.
  • 2. Freely branching habit.
  • 3. Freely flowering habit.
  • 4. Large purple-colored flowers with dark purple-colored venation.
  • 5. Good garden performance.

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

• • 1. Plants of the new Petunia are more vigorous than plants of the female parent selection.
  • 2. Plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of the female parent selection.

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

• • 1. Plants of the new Petunia are more upright than and not as trailing as plants of the male parent selection.
  • 2. Plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of Petunia×hybrida ‘Fort Purple Vein’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,333. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Petunia differed from plants of ‘Fort Purple Vein’ in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Petunia were more upright than plants of ‘Fort Purple Vein’.
  • 2. Plants of the new Petunia had larger flowers than plants of ‘Fort Purple Vein’.
  • 3. Plants of the new Petunia and ‘Fort Purple Vein’ differed in flower color as plants of ‘Fort Purple Vein’ had light violet-colored flowers with dark violet-colored venation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Petunia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia plant. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Fipetpurheart’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in 10.5-cm containers during the winter in a glass-covered greenhouse in De Lier, The Netherlands. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. Plants were ten weeks old when the photograph and 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: Petunia×hybrida ‘Fipetpurheart’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code number For 111060.
    • Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code number For 111070.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—By terminal cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five to seven days at temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.
    • Time to initiate roots, winter.—About six to eight days at temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 14 to 19 days at temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 14 to 21 days at temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.
    • Root description.—Fine; white in color.
    • Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.
• Plant description:
  • • Plant and growth habit.—Upright, outwardly spreading and mounding growth habit; moderately vigorous growth habit.
    • Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with about five primary lateral branches each with multiple secondary lateral branches; pinching is typically not required.
    • Plant height.—About 17 cm.
    • Plant diameter.—About 20 cm.
• Lateral branch description:
  • • Length.—About 19 cm.
    • Diameter.—About 4 mm.
    • Internode length.—About 1 cm to 1.5 cm.
    • Strength.—Moderately strong.
    • Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly spreading.
    • Texture.—Densely pubescent; viscid.
    • Color.—Close to 144B.
• Leaf description:
  • • Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.
    • Length.—About 5.5 cm.
    • Width.—About 4.2 cm.
    • Shape.—Ovate.
    • Apex.—Acute.
    • Base.—Cuneate.
    • Margin.—Entire.
    • Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Densely pubescent; viscid.
    • Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.
    • Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A; venation, close to 143A. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 143C; venation, close to 143C.
• Flower description:
  • • Flower arrangement and flowering habit.—Relatively large salverform flowers arranged singly arising from leaf axils; freely flowering habit with usually about 18 flowers developing per plant; flowers face upright to outwardly.
    • Fragrance.—None detected.
    • Natural flowering season.—Plants typically beginning flowering about 6.5 weeks after planting; plants flower continuously from late spring into the autumn in The Netherlands.
    • Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about five days on the plant; flowers persistent.
    • Flower buds.—Shape: Narrowly oblanceolate. Length: About 3.5 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Color: Close to 149A and N77A.
    • Flower diameter.—About 6 cm.
    • Flower length (height).—About 4.5 cm.
    • Throat diameter.—About 1.5 cm.
    • Tube length.—About 3 cm.
    • Tube diameter.—About 5 mm.
    • Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat: About 2.5 cm. Petal lobe width: About 2.5 cm. Petal shape: Spatulate. Petal apex: Cuspidate. Petal margin: Entire. Petal lobe texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Petal, when opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to N78B; venation, close to N77A; color does not fade with development. Petal, when opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to N78C to N78D; venation, close to N77A to N77C; color does not fade with development. Throat: Close to N77A; venation, close to N77A. Tube: Close to N77A; venation, close to N77A.
    • Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five sepals per flower, sepals fused at the base. Sepal length: About 2.5 cm. Sepal width: About 5 mm. Sepal shape: Narrowly oblong. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal base: Cuneate. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent; viscid. Color, upper surface: Close to 143A. Color, lower surface: Close to 143C.
    • Peduncles.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Angle: About 40° from stem axis. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Densely pubescent; viscid. Color: Close to 144A.
    • Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five. Filament length: About 2.5 cm. Filament color: Close to N155D and 157D. Anther shape: Broadly reniform. Anther length: About 1.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 161B. Pollen amount: None observed. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 2.1 cm. Style length: About 1.8 cm. Style color: Close to 145B. Stigma shape: Flattened, three-lobed. Stigma color: Close to N77A. Ovary color: Close to 145A. Fruits and seeds: Fruit and seed development have not been observed on plants of the new Petunia.
• Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C.
• Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia plants.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘Fipetpurheart’ as illustrated and described.