plant named ‘Pacchoap’

Abstract

A new and distinct Zonal Geranium plant named ‘Pacchoap’, characterized by its upright and uniformly rounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely basal branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; early and freely flowering habit; and light red-colored semi-double flowers that are held above the foliar plane on strong peduncles.

Description

Botanical designation: Pelargonium x hortorum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PACCHOAP’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium x hortorum, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Pacchoap’.

The new Zonal Geranium plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new uniform Zonal Geranium plants with dark green-colored leaves and numerous attractive flowers.

The new Zonal Geranium plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor of two unidentified proprietary selections of Pelargonium grandiflorum, not patented, during the summer of 2013. Seed was collected from a number of potential parent plants, combined and sown. The new Zonal Geranium plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated mass cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Dresden, Germany during the spring of 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Zonal Geranium plant by vegetative terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Dresden, Germany since January, 2015 has shown that the unique features of this new Zonal Geranium plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have not been observed under all possible combinations of 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 ‘Pacchoap’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Pacchoap’ as a new and distinct Zonal Geranium plant:

• • 1. Upright and uniformly rounded plant habit.
  • 2. Vigorous growth habit.
  • 3. Freely basal branching habit.
  • 4. Dark green-colored leaves with a large zonal pattern.
  • 5. Early and freely flowering habit.
  • 6. Light red-colored semi-double flowers that are held above the foliar plane on strong peduncles.

Plants of the new Zonal Geranium can be compared to plants of the Pelargonium x hortorum ‘Pacchogi’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,688. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Zonal Geranium differ from plants of ‘Pacchogi’ in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium are larger than plants of ‘Pacchogi’.
  • 2. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have smaller leaves than plants of ‘Pacchogi’.
  • 3. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium are more freely flowering than plants of ‘Pacchogi’.
  • 4. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have semi-double flowers whereas plants of ‘Pacchogi’ have single-type flowers.
  • 5. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have larger flowers than plants of ‘Pacchogi’.
  • 6. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium and ‘Pacchogi’ differ in flower color as plants of ‘Pacchogi’ have cherry red-colored flowers.
  • 7. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have shorter peduncles than plants of ‘Pacchogi’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Zonal Geranium 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 Zonal Geranium plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Pacchoap’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in 19-cm containers during the winter, spring and summer in a glass-covered greenhouse in Dresden, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Zonal Geranium production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 18° C., night temperatures averaged 16° C. and light levels ranged from 15 kilolux to 100 kilolux. Plants were four months old when the photograph was taken and eight months old when the detailed description was taken. In the detailed description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

• Botanical classification: Pelargonium x hortorum ‘Pacchoap’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection of Pelargonium x hortorum, not patented.
    • Male or pollen parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection of Pelargonium x hortorum, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 18 days at temperatures about 20° C.
    • Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 22 days at temperatures about 20° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About four weeks at temperatures about 20° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four weeks at temperatures about 18° C.
    • Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizers, substrate temperature and age of roots.
    • Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.
• Plant description:
  • • Plant and growth habit.—Upright and uniformly rounded plant habit; inverted triangle; densely foliated; vigorous growth habit; moderate growth rate; freely basal branching habit with numerous lateral branches developing per plant; pinching is not required.
    • Plant height, to top of umbels.—About 40 cm.
    • Plant height, to top of foliar plane.—About 32 cm.
    • Plant width.—About 45 cm.
    • Lateral branches.—Length: About 22 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Internode length: About 2.5 cm. Texture: Moderately pubescent. Color: Close to 146B.
• Leaf description:
  • • Arrangement.—Opposite and alternate; simple.
    • Length.—About 5.3 cm.
    • Width.—About 8.3 cm.
    • Shape.—Rounded; roughly reniform.
    • Apex.—Rounded.
    • Base.—Cordate, open.
    • Margin.—Crenate.
    • Venation pattern.—Palmate.
    • Texture, upper surface.—Moderately pubescent; felt-like.
    • Texture, lower surface.—Pubescence along the veins.
    • Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation, close to 137A. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation, close to 143C. Zonation pattern: Intensity: Strong. Distance from leaf margin: About 3 mm. Width: About 5 cm. Color: Close to 200A.
    • Petioles.—Length: About 5.3 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; rough. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 138A.
• Flower description:
  • • Flower arrangement and flowering habit.—Semi-double flowers arranged in roughly hemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils; umbels displayed above the foliar plane on strong peduncles; flowers face upright to outwardly; freely flowering habit with about 31 flower buds and flowers per umbel.
    • Fragrance.—None detected.
    • Flowering season.—Early flowering habit; plants begin flowering about 70 days after planting; in the garden in Germany, flowering begins in April and continues until frost in the autumn.
    • Flower longevity.—Flowers last about six to ten days on the plant; umbels last about three to four weeks on the plant; flowers persistent.
    • Umbel height.—About 6 cm.
    • Umbel diameter.—About 10 cm.
    • Flower diameter.—About 4.5 cm.
    • Flower depth (height).—About 2 cm.
    • Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Shape: Elliptical. Color: Close to 144A.
    • Petals.—Quantity per flower: About six; petals imbricate. Length: About 2.4 cm. Width: About 2.6 cm. Shape: Roughly fan-shaped. Apex: Rounded. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 40C; at the base, close to 155D; venation, close to 40C; color does not change with development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 41D; at the base, close to 155D; venation, close to 41D; color does not change with development.
    • Petaloids.—Quantity per flower: About one to two arranged at the center of the flower. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Irregularly shaped. Apex: Acute to rounded. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth to crinkled, glabrous. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 40C; at the base, close to 155D; venation, close to 40C; color does not change with development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 41D; at the base, close to 155D; venation, close to 41D; color does not change with development.
    • Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five or six arranged in a single whorl. Length: About 9 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A.
    • Peduncles (umbel stems).—Length: About 12 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Strength: Strong. Angle: Mostly upright. Texture: Moderately pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.
    • Pedicels (individual flower stems).—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Moderately strong; flexible. Texture: Moderately pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.
    • Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower: About twelve. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Tubular. Anther color: Close to 54A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 168A. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma shape: Five-parted. Stigma color: Close to 50A. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color: Close to 50A. Ovary color: Close to 148C. Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit development have not been observed on plants of the new Zonal Geranium.
• Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Zonal Geraniums.
• Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have been observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to about 35° C. to 40° C.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Zonal Geranium plant named ‘Pacchoap’ as illustrated and described.