plant named ‘Docaltitogra’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant named ‘Docaltitogra’, characterized by its outwardly spreading, trailing and decumbent plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; large flowers with purple-colored petals with dark purplish red-colored centers and venation and bright yellow-colored throats and central star; and good garden performance.

Description

Botanical designation: Calibrachoa parviflora.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOCALTITOGRA’.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Calibrachoa Plant Named ‘DOCALTITOR50’

Inventor: Arjan Koot

Applicant: Dümmen Group B.V.

Filed: Concurrently with the instant application

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR & APPLICANT/ASSIGNEE

The Inventor and Applicant/Assignee assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor and/or Applicant/Assignee. Inventor and Applicant/Assignee claim a prior art exception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

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

The new Calibrachoa plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely branching and early-flowering Calibrachoa plants with numerous large and attractive flowers.

The new Calibrachoa plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in July, 2019 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selection of Calibrachoa parviflora identified as code number AA17-089063-001, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Calibrachoa parviflora identified as code number AA17-088072-001, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Calibrachoa 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 Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2020.

Asexual reproduction of the new Calibrachoa plant by vegetative terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since June, 2020 has shown that the unique features of this new Calibrachoa plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Calibrachoa 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 ‘Docaltitogra’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Docaltitogra’ as a new and distinct Calibrachoa plant:

• • 1. Outwardly spreading, trailing and decumbent plant habit.
  • 2. Vigorous growth habit.
  • 3. Freely branching habit.
  • 4. Early and freely flowering habit.
  • 5. Large flowers with purple-colored petals with dark purplish red-colored centers and venation and bright yellow-colored throats and central star.
  • 6. Good garden performance.

The new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flower color as flowers of plants of the new Calibrachoa are purple in color whereas flowers of plants of the female parent selection are pink in color.

The new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in flower color as flowers of plants of the new Calibrachoa are purple in color whereas flowers of plants of the male parent selection are pink in color.

The new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of Calibrachoa parviflora ‘Docaltitor50’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 17/283,003, filed concurrently. Plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily from plants of ‘Docaltitor50’ in flower color as flowers of plants of the new Calibrachoa are purple in color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Docaltitor50’ are purplish red in color.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa can also be compared to plants of Calibrachoa sp. ‘KLECA16371’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,419. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily from plants of ‘KLECA16371’ in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are slightly taller than plants of ‘KLECA16371’.
  • 2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa have larger leaves than plants of ‘KLECA16371’.
  • 3. Plants of the new Calibrachoa have larger flowers than plants of ‘KLECA16371’.
  • 4. Plants of the new Calibrachoa have longer sepals than plants of ‘KLECA16371’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Calibrachoa 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 Calibrachoa plant. The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Docaltitogra’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the spring and early summer in 22-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Calibrachoa production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Rooted young plants were pinched one time three weeks after planting. Plants were twelve weeks old when the photograph was taken and 25 weeks old when the description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, 2007, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

• Botanical classification: Calibrachoa parviflora ‘Docaltitogra’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Calibrachoa parviflora identified as code number AA17-089063-001, not patented.
    • Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Calibrachoa parviflora identified as code number AA17-088072-001, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—By vegetative cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at temperatures about 20° C.
    • Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at temperatures about 20° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three weeks at temperatures about 20° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four weeks at temperatures about 20° C.
    • Root description.—Fine, fibrous; close to 158A 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.—Outwardly spreading to trailing and decumbent plant habit; freely branching habit with about seven primary lateral branches each with about six secondary lateral branches developing per plant; pinching enhances branching; dense and full appearance; vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate.
    • Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 21 cm.
    • Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 22 cm.
    • Plant diameter (spread of plant).—About 68 cm.
• Lateral branch description:
  • • Length.—About 33 cm.
    • Diameter.—About 5 mm.
    • Internode length.—About 1.1 cm.
    • Strength.—Strong.
    • Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly spreading to trailing and decumbent.
    • Texture and luster.—Pubescent; glossy.
    • Color, developing.—Close to 148C.
    • Color, developed.—Close to 148A; at the internodes, close to 144B.
• Leaf description:
  • • Arrangement.—Before flowering, alternate, and after flowering, opposite; simple.
    • Length.—About 2.8 cm.
    • Width.—About 9.5 mm.
    • Shape.—Oblanceolate.
    • Apex.—Rounded.
    • Base.—Attenuate.
    • Margin.—Entire.
    • Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; matte.
    • Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.
    • Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation, close to 144C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B; venation, close to 144C.
    • Petioles.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 1.7 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; matte. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144C.
• Flower description:
  • • Flower arrangement and habit.—Single salverform flowers arising from leaf axils; freely flowering habit with usually about 436 flowers and flower buds per plant; flowers face mostly upright to outwardly.
    • Fragrance.—None detected.
    • Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit, plants of the new Calibrachoa initiate and develop flowers about six weeks after planting; plants flower continuously from the spring throughout the summer in Germany.
    • Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about seven to ten days on the plant; flowers not persistent.
    • Flower buds.—Length: About 2.7 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Shape: Elongated oblong. Texture and luster: Rippled; semi-glossy. Color: Close to N81B.
    • Flower diameter.—About 3.6 cm by 4.2 cm.
    • Flower depth (height).—About 2.5 cm.
    • Flower throat diameter.—About 6.8 mm.
    • Flower tube length.—About 2 cm.
    • Flower tube diameter.—About 6 mm.
    • Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat: About 2.3 cm. Petal lobe width: About 2 cm. Petal shape: Roughly spatulate. Petal apex: Rounded. Petal margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Petal texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Petal, when opening, upper surface: Close to N80A; towards the throat, close to N79A. Petal, when opening, lower surface: Close to N81C. Petal, fully opened, upper surface: Close to 77B; towards the throat, close to N79A; venation, close to N79A; with development, colors becoming closer to N80C and towards the throat, close to N79A. Petal, fully opened, lower surface: Close to 77C; venation, close to N79A; color becoming closer to 76A with development. Throat: Close to 12A; star, close to 12A; venation, close to 12A and N79A. Tube: Close to 12B; venation, close to N79A.
    • Calyx.—Arrangement: Star-shaped calyx with five sepals; sepals fused at the base. Sepal length: About 1.5 cm. Sepal width: About 3 mm. Sepal shape: Lanceolate. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; matte. Color: When developing, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A. Fully developed, upper surface: Close to 138C. Fully developed, lower surface: Close to 138A.
    • Peduncles.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle: About 45° from stem axis. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster: Pubescent; matte. Color: Close to 144B.
    • Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five per flower. Filament length: About 1 cm. Filament color: Close to N144D. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to 12B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 12C. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Style length: About 9 mm. Style color: Close to 144C. Stigma diameter: About 0.7 mm. Stigma shape: Ellipsoidal. Stigma color: Close to N144C. Ovary color: Close to N144C. Fruits: Quantity produced per plant: About 190 per plant. Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 3.6 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to N200C. Seeds: Quantity per flower: About 28. Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to N200A.
• Garden performance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have been observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain, temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 40° C. and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness Zone 11.
• Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Calibrachoa have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Calibrachoa plants.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Calibrachoa plant named ‘Docaltitogra’ as illustrated and described.