plant named ‘Balcabred20’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant named ‘Balcabred20’, characterized by its medium red-colored flowers, medium green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, mounded-trailing growth habit, is disclosed.

Description

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Calibrachoa x hybrida.

Variety denomination: ‘Balcabred20’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant botanically known as Calibrachoa x hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Balcabred20’.

The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program in Arroyo Grande, Calif. during October 2016. The objective of the breeding program was the development of Calibrachoa cultivars with attractive flower coloration, and a moderately vigorous, mounded-trailing growth habit.

The new Calibrachoa cultivar is the result of cross-pollination. The female (seed) parent of the new cultivar is Aloha Kona Dark Red ‘Duealkodare’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,969, characterized by its dark red-colored flowers, medium green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, compact, semi-upright to outwardly spreading to trailing growth habit. The male (pollen) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Calibrachoa x hybrida breeding selection coded 14372-1, not patented, characterized by its medium red-colored flowers, medium green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, mounded growth habit. The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the above stated cross-pollination during February 2017 in a controlled environment in Arroyo Grande, Calif.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings since February 2017 in Arroyo Grande, Calif. and West Chicago, Ill. has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedly observed and can be used to distinguish ‘Balcabred20’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant:

• • 1. Medium red-colored flowers;
  • 2. Medium green-colored foliage; and
  • 3. Moderately vigorous, mounded-trailing growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parent primarily in having a flower color that is a slightly lighter shade of red, and in having a smaller diameter corolla. Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the male parent primarily in having a more uniform flower shape.

Of the many commercially available Calibrachoa cultivars, the most similar in comparison to the new cultivar is CABARET Bright Red ‘Balcabrite’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,401. However, in side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of ‘Balcabrite’ in at least the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new cultivar have smaller leaves than plants of ‘Balcabrite’; and
  • 2. Plants of the new cultivar have a flower color that is a lighter shade of red than plants of ‘Balcabrite’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typical flower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed description, which accurately describes the colors of ‘Balcabred20’. The plants were approximately 7 months old and grown in 3-gallon containers in an outdoor nursery environment in West Chicago, Ill. for approximately 4 months. Treatments are described below in the Detailed Botanical Description.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habit of ‘Balcabred20’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of an individual flower of ‘Balcabred20’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature, light intensity, and day length, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, 2015 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significance are used. The color values were determined in September 2018 under natural light conditions in West Chicago, Ill.

The following descriptions and measurements describe plants produced from cuttings from stock under conditions comparable to those used in commercial practice. The plants were approximately 7 months old and grown in 3-gallon containers in an outdoor nursery environment in West Chicago, Ill. for approximately 4 months. Plants were given two pinches, the first at 3 weeks after cuttings were stuck and a second approximately 3 weeks later. Plants were treated with plant growth regulators of Daminozide at 2500 ppm and Chlormequat chloride at 750 ppm approximately 4 weeks after cuttings were stuck. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plants.

• Botanical classification: Calibrachoa x hybrida ‘Balcabred20’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female parent.—Aloha Kona Dark Red ‘Duealkodare’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,969.
    • Male parent.—Proprietary Calibrachoa x hybrida breeding selection coded 14372-1, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type cutting.—Terminal stem.
    • Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 6 to 8 days.
    • Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 21 to 28 days.
    • Root description.—Fibrous.
    • Rooting habit.—Freely branching.
• Plant description:
  • • Commercial crop time.—Approximately 6 to 9 weeks from a rooted cutting to finish in a 10 cm pot.
    • Growth habit and general appearance.—Moderately vigorous, mounded-trailing.
    • Size.—Height from soil level to top of plant plane: Approximately 22.0 cm. Width: Approximately 63.5 cm.
    • Branching habit.—Freely branching, pinching enhances basal branching. Quantity of main branches per plant: Approximately 7.
    • Branch.—Strength: Moderate. Length: Approximately 30.0 cm. Diameter: Approximately 3.0 mm. Length of central internode: Approximately 3.5 cm. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color of young stems: 146B. Color of mature stems: 146B with age becoming woody 199A.
• Foliage description:
  • • General description.—Fragrance: None detected. Form: Simple. Arrangement on flowering stem: Opposite.
    • Leaves.—Aspect: At acute angle to stem with tip turning downward. Shape: Elliptic. Margin: Entire. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Attenuate. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Length of mature leaf: Approximately 2.0 cm. Width of mature leaf: Approximately 0.5 mm. Texture of upper and lower surfaces: Moderately glandular pubescent. Gland color: Colorless, transparent. Color of upper surface of young foliage: 137B with midvein of 146C. Color of lower surface of young foliage: Closest to 138A with midvein of 146D. Color of upper surface of mature foliage: 137A with NN137A, midvein of 146C. Color of lower surface of mature foliage: 137C, midvein of 146D.
    • Petiole.—Length: Approximately 2.0 mm. Diameter: Approximately 2.0 mm. Texture: Moderately glandular pubescent. Gland color: Colorless, transparent. Color: 146D.
• Flowering description:
  • • Flowering habit.—‘Balcabred20’ is freely flowering under outdoor growing conditions with substantially continuous blooming from spring through autumn and year-round in greenhouse environment.
    • Lastingness of individual flower on the plant.—Approximately 5 to 7 days.
• Flower description:
  • • General description.—Type: Single, salverform. Quantity per plant: Approximately 75. Fragrance: None detected.
    • Bud.—Rate of opening: Generally takes 3 to 4 days for bud to progress from first color to fully open flower. Quantity per plant: Approximately 20.
    • Bud just before opening.—Shape: Oblong. Length: Approximately 1.7 cm. Diameter: Approximately 5.0 mm. Texture: Densely glandular pubescent. Gland color: Colorless, transparent. Color: Petal portion 59A, tube portion 154C, venation of N92A.
    • Corolla.—Diameter: Approximately 2.9 cm.
    • Petals.—Quantity: 5, fused to form a tube. Shape: Obovate. Margin: Entire. Apex: Rounded, occasionally shallowly notched. Length from tube: Approximately 1.1 cm. Length of free portion: Approximately 7.0 mm. Width: Approximately 1.5 cm. Texture of upper surface: Glabrous. Texture of lower surface: Glandular pubescent, dense along venation. Gland color: Colorless, transparent. Color of upper surface when first and fully open: Closest to N45A with medium to strong midveins of N92A. Color of lower surface when first and fully open: Closest to 185C with midveins of N92A.
    • Corolla tube.—Length: Approximately 1.7 cm. Diameter at distal end: Approximately 7.0 mm. Diameter at proximal end: Approximately 1.0 mm. Texture of inner surface: Glabrous. Texture of outer surface: Densely glandular pubescent. Gland color: Colorless, transparent. Color of inner surface: 13A with a small, irregular area of N77A at throat opening, and weak to medium venation of N77A. Color of outer surface: 154D with venation of N77A.
    • Sepals.—Quantity per flower: 5, fused along lower half. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Length: Approximately 1.2 cm. Width: Approximately 2.0 mm. Texture of upper and lower surfaces: Densely glandular pubescent. Gland color: Colorless, transparent. Color of upper surface: 137A. Color of lower surface: 138A with base of 144A.
    • Peduncle.—Strength: Strong, flexible. Aspect: Acute angle to stem. Length: Approximately 1.0 cm. Diameter: Approximately 1.0 mm. Texture: Densely glandular pubescent. Gland color: Colorless, transparent. Color: 146C.
    • Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity: 5, basifixed. Stamen length: Approximately 1.0 cm. Filament length of fixed portion: Approximately 5.0 mm. Filament color: 150C. Anther shape: Bilobed, ovoid. Anther length: Approximately 1.0 mm. Anther color: 8A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: 8C. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: 1 per flower. Pistil length: Approximately 1.1 cm. Stigma shape: Funnel. Stigma length: Less than 1.0 mm. Stigma color: 143A. Style length: Approximately 9.0 mm. Style color: 145B. Ovary diameter: Approximately 1.0 mm. Ovary color: 144A.
• Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has been observed.
• Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to Calibrachoa has not been observed.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant named ‘Balcabred20’, substantially as herein illustrated and described.