Red bayberry plant named ‘N1MR09’
A new and distinct cultivar of Red Bayberry, botanically known as Myrica rubra, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘N1MR09’ is described. N1MR09 produces fruit having improved sweetness, a good sugar:acid ratio, a palatable low resin taste along with uniform fruit size and colour. N1MR09 has the following traits: mean fruit diameter is 24.7 mm; mean fruit weight is 9.15 g; fruit colour is pale red; mean fruit flesh total soluble solids (an indicator of sweetness) is 12.8 ° Brix; mean fruit flesh titratable acidity is 1.25%; and fruit harvest season in the southern hemisphere is mid-November.
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Botanical denomination: Myrica rubra.
Variety designation: ‘N1MR09’.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Red Bayberry, botanically known as Myrica rubra, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘N1MR09’.
‘N1MR09’ is the product of a selection program started by the inventor in 2002 in a cultivated area of Knoxfield, Victoria, Australia. The primary focus of the selection program is to produce new cultivars of Red Bayberry with fruit having improved sweetness, a good sugar:acid ratio, a palatable low resin taste along with uniform fruit size and colour.
‘N1MR09’ was selected in 2008 from a mature planting of twelve cutting-propagated genotypes which the inventor had originally grown from out-crossed seed collected from China. The inventor is unable to identify either the male or the female parent. A later planting comprising 141 seedlings from a second batch of seed were evaluated for fruit quality in 2010. The combination of traits displayed by ‘N1MR09’ was not found in any of the 141 seedlings. Hence, ‘N1MR09’ is considered to be a unique cultivar.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe cultivar ‘N1MR09’ was asexually reproduced by clonal propagation, using cuttings or by grafting onto rootstock in Gatton, Queensland, Australia. The original clonal propagation to produce the variety was conducted via vegetative tip cuttings.
The cultivar ‘N1MR09’ has not been tested under all possible conditions and phenotypic differences may be observed with variations in environmental, climatic and cultural conditions, without however any change in genotype.
The following traits have been observed and represent the characteristics of the new Myrica rubra cultivar ‘N1MR09’. These traits in combination distinguish ‘N1MR09’ from all other varieties of Myrica rubra known to the inventor.
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- 1. Mean fruit diameter is 24.7 mm.
- 2. Mean fruit weight is 9.15 g.
- 3. Fruit colour is pale red.
- 4. Mean fruit flesh total soluble solids (an indicator of sweetness) is 12.8° Brix.
- 5. Mean fruit flesh titratable acidity is 1.25%.
- 6. Fruit harvest season in the southern hemisphere is mid-November.
The following description describes the Myrica rubra cultivar ‘N1MR09’ at 7 years. The vegetative propagule was observed in a test plot maintained with standard management practices for commercial bayberry production in Nambour, Queensland, Australia. Certain characteristics of this variety, such as growth and colour, may change with changing environmental conditions (e.g., light, temperature, moisture, nutrient availability, or other factors). Colour descriptions and other terminology are used in accordance with their ordinary dictionary descriptions, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Colour designations are based on the CIE L.C.h colour model and were measured using a Konica Minolta CR-400 Chroma Meter.
- Botanical classification: Myrica rubra.
- Parentage:
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- Female parent plant.—Unknown.
- Male parent plant.—Unknown.
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- Plant:
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- Vigor.—General observations of ‘N1MR09’ plantings indicate average plant vigor.
- Plant habit.—Branched shrub, elongate in shape; can be limbed up into a multi-trunked small tree.
- Plant hardiness.—USDA Zone 9 (potentially ranging from 8 to 10).
- Type.—Evergreen shrub.
- Disease resistance.—No disease resistance data available for foliar or root pathogens.
- Size.—Height, 5.35 m, width 3.4 m.
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- Fruit:
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- Shape.—Spherical.
- Size.—In Nambour, Queensland, Australia, average diameter was 24.7 mm.
- Skin.—Knobby (papillate).
- Colour.—Pale red. CIE L.C.h color measurements are as follows: Lightness (L)=19.26±0.30; Chroma (C)=23.01±0.81; Hue (h)=16.89±0.37.
- Weight.—In Nambour, Queensland, Australia, average weight was 9.15 g.
- Number of seeds.—One.
- Flesh.—Pink-white
- Fruit chemistry.—Samples of fruit were harvested from test plots in Nambour, Queensland, Australia and evaluated for fruit chemistry. Average fruit flesh total soluble solids were 12.8° Brix and average fruit flesh titratable acidity was 1.25%.
- Fruit production.—Mid November.
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- Leaf:
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- Length (mm).—91.1±1.5.
- Width (mm).—27.97±0.56.
- Shape.—Oblanceolate.
- Margin type.—Entire.
- Texture (upper surface).—Glabrous.
- Texture (lower surface).—Glabrous.
- Fragrance.—Mildly fragrant when bruised.
- Color (upper surface).—139A (Light=32; Chroma=16; hue=146).
- Color (lower surface).—147B (Light=47; Chroma=21; hue=112).
- Apex shape.—Acute to obtuse, rarely retuse.
- Base shape.—Cuneate.
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- Leaf bud:
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- Axillary bud length (mm).—4.50±0.12.
- Axillary bud shape.—Ovoid to ovoid-conical.
- Axillary bud number per axil.—5.20±0.22.
- Axillary bud colour.—165C (Light=67; Chroma=38; hue=65).
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- Petiole:
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- Length (mm).—10.27±0.24.
- Surface texture.—Glabrous.
- Color.—152D (Light=62; Chroma=46; hue=88).
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- Stem:
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- Shape.—Round.
- Surface texture.—Woody.
- Presence/absence of lenticel.—Present.
- Color.—199B (Light=54; Chroma=20; hue=74).
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- Flower:
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- Monoecious or dioecious.—Dioecious.
- Flower form.—Incomplete, lacks petals and sepals.
- Flowering season.—Late winter to early spring.
- Flower colour.—None, flowers are apetalous.
- Average number of flowers per inflorescence.—10.52±5.259.
- Average inflorescence length.—8.9 mm±0.84.
- Size.—Very small and inconspicuous.
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- Peduncle:
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- Average peduncle length.—3.764±1.159.
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- Reproductive organs:
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- Number of pistils per flower.—2. The variety produces pistillate flowers only.
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- Seeds:
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- Length (mm).—12.23±0.13.
- Width (mm).—10.03±0.14.
- Thickness (mm).—8.63±0.10.
- Shape.—Broad elliptic to broad obovate.
- Color.—165D (Light=78; Chroma=31; hue=71).
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- Shipping and storage characteristics: Fruit decay severity after 15 d storage at 5° C.: moderate. This data is preliminary (based on fruit harvested from a single location) and may have been affected by environmental conditions.
- Pollination requirement: Dioecious. Cross-pollination by wind.
Claims
1. A new and distinct variety of red bayberry plant, substantially as illustrated and described herein.
Type: Grant
Filed: Jun 9, 2014
Date of Patent: Nov 1, 2016
Assignee: The University of Queensland (St. Lucia)
Inventor: Daryl Clifford Joyce (Karalee)
Primary Examiner: June Hwu
Application Number: 14/120,613
International Classification: A01H 5/08 (20060101);