plant named ‘Surf Ikuyoko’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Surf Ikuyoko’, characterized by its upright to spreading and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; long flowering period; large flowers that are bright reddish purple in color; and good garden performance.

Description

Botanical designation: Petunia x hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SURF IKUYOKO’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

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

The new Petunia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new upright to spreading and freely-branching habit Petunia plants with numerous large attractive flowers.

The new Petunia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in June, 2016 in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan of a proprietary selection of Petunia x hybrida identified as code designation Px8284-4, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Petunia x hybrida identified as code designation PP1, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. 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 Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in June, 2017.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since April, 2018 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 combinations of 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 ‘Surf Ikuyoko’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Surf Ikuyoko’ as a new and distinct Petunia plant:

• • 1. Upright to spreading and mounding plant habit.
  • 2. Vigorous growth habit.
  • 3. Freely branching habit.
  • 4. Freely flowering habit.
  • 5. Long flowering period.
  • 6. Large flowers that are bright reddish purple in color.
  • 7. Good garden performance.

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

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in flower color as flowers of plants of the new Petunia are bright reddish purple in color whereas flowers of plants of the male parent selection are pale pink in color. In addition, plants of the new Petunia are not as broad as plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia can also be compared to plants of the Petunia x hybrida ‘Sunpapi’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Petunia and ‘Sunpapi’ differ primarily in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Petunia are upright to spreading in plant habit whereas plants of ‘Sunpapi’ are trailing in habit.
  • 2. Plants of the new Petunia are taller than and not as broad as plants of ‘Sunpapi’.
  • 3. Leaves of plants of the new Petunia are darker green in color than leaves of plants of ‘Sunpapi’.
  • 4. Plants of the new Petunia have much larger flowers than plants of ‘Sunpapi’.
  • 5. Plants of the new Petunia and ‘Sunpapi’ differ in flower color as flowers of plants of the new Petunia are bright reddish purple in color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Sunpapi’ are lighter purplish pink in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate 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 photographs 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 at the top of the sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Surf Ikuyoko’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘Surf Ikuyoko’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the early summer in 24-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Petunia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night temperatures averaged 13° C. Plants were six months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

• Botanical classification: Petunia x hybrida ‘Surf Ikuyoko’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Petunia x hybrida identified as code designation Px8284-4, not patented.
    • Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Petunia x hybrida identified as code designation PP1, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—By terminal vegetative cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About one week at temperatures about 15° C. to 20° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and winter.—About three weeks at temperatures about 15° C. to 20° C.
    • Root description.—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.
    • Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.
• Plant description:
  • • Plant form and growth habit.—Upright to spreading and mounding plant habit; freely branching habit with numerous lateral branches developing per plant; pinching enhances lateral branch development; vigorous growth habit.
    • Plant height.—About 27 cm.
    • Plant diameter.—About 50 cm.
• Lateral branch description:
  • • Length.—About 23.6 cm.
    • Diameter.—About 3.8 mm.
    • Internode length.—About 1.9 cm.
    • Strength.—Strong, flexible.
    • Aspect.—Upright to outwardly.
    • Texture.—Densely pubescent; rough; viscid.
    • Color.—Close to 144B.
• Leaf description:
  • • Quantity and arrangement.—About 18 leaves per lateral branch; alternate, simple.
    • Length.—About 6.1 cm.
    • Width.—About 3.8 cm.
    • Shape.—Elliptic.
    • Apex.—Acute.
    • Base.—Attenuate.
    • Margin.—Entire.
    • Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Sparsely pubescent, rough; viscid.
    • Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.
    • Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137A; venation, close to 146B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A; venation, close to 146C.
    • Petioles.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 5.4 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent; rough; viscid. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 143B.
• Flower description:
  • • Flower arrangement and habit.—Large single-type salverform flowers arising from upper leaf axils; freely flowering habit with usually about three to four flowers developing per lateral branch and about 54 flower buds and flowers per plant at one time during the flowering season; flowers face mostly upright to slightly outwardly.
    • Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant, pleasant.
    • Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit; plants of the new Petunia initiate and develop flowers about three to four weeks after planting; long flowering period, flowering commences naturally during the spring and plants flower continuously throughout the summer until late autumn in Japan.
    • Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about seven to ten days on the plant; flowers not persistent.
    • Flower buds.—Length: About 5.2 cm. Diameter: About 2.1 mm. Shape: Cylindrical. Color: Immature sepals, close to 145B; immature petals, close to N79C.
    • Flower diameter.—About 9.3 cm.
    • Flower tube length.—About 3.2 cm.
    • Flower tube diameter, proximally.—About 4.9 mm.
    • Flower tube diameter, distally.—About 1.5 cm.
    • Corolla.—Quantity and arrangement: Five in a single whorl, fused at the base and opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat: About 3.75 cm. Petal width: About 4.4 cm. Petal shape: Roughly spatulate. Petal apex: Cuspidate. Petal margin: Entire; strongly undulate. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Pubescent, rough. Color: Petal, when opening, upper surface: Close to NN78A. Petal, when opening, lower surface: Close to NN74D. Petal, fully opened, upper surface: Close to NN74B; venation, close to 70A; color becoming closer to 73A with subsequent development. Petal, fully opened, lower surface: Close to 73A; venation, close to 73A; color does not change with subsequent development. Throat: Distally, close to 144C; proximally, close to N148B; venation, close to 183B. Tube: Distally, close to NN155C; center, close to 155C; proximally, close to 144A; venation, similar to lamina colors.
    • Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five sepals arranged in a single whorl and fused at the base. Sepal length: About 1.2 cm. Sepal width: About 5.9 mm. Sepal shape: Ovate. Sepal apex: Obtuse. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; viscid. Color, upper surface: Close to 138A. Color, lower surface: Close to 143A.
    • Peduncles.—Length: About 2.3 cm. Diameter: About 2.7 mm. Strength: Strong, flexible. Aspect: Upright to outwardly. Texture: Densely pubescent; viscid. Color: Close to 143A.
    • Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five. Filament length: About 1 cm. Filament color: Close to 145D. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther size: About 2 mm by 3.2 mm. Anther color: Close to 8D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 155A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 2.7 cm. Style color: Close to 145C. Stigma shape: Transversely ellipsoidal. Stigma color: Close to 143A. Ovary color: Close to 145C. Seeds and fruits: To date, seed and fruit 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 to tolerate rain, wind and temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C.
• Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, 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 ‘Surf Ikuyoko’ as illustrated and described.