Petunia plant named ‘DOPETSWEEBAPI98’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Dopetsweebapi98’, characterized by its semi-upright and uniformly mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; large purplish pink-colored flowers with white-colored centers; and good container and garden performance.

Description

Botanical designation: Petunia X hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOPETSWEEBAPI98’.

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 ‘Dopetsweebapi98’.

The new Petunia 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 compact, freely branching and early-flowering Petunia plants with numerous attractive flowers.

The new Petunia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in July, 2020 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selection of Petunia X hybrida identified as code number TT19-K0815, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Petunia X hybrida identified as code number TT20-K0851, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia 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, 2022.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since June, 2022 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 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 ‘Dopetsweebapi98’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dopetsweebapi98’ as a new and distinct Petunia plant:

• • 1. Semi-upright and uniformly mounding plant habit.
  • 2. Vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate.
  • 3. Freely branching habit.
  • 4. Early and freely flowering habit.
  • 5. Large purplish pink-colored flowers with white-colored centers.
  • 6. Good container and garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Petunia are more vigorous than plants of the female parent selection.
  • 2. Plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of the female parent selection.
  • 3. Flowers of plants of the new Petunia are more rounded than flowers of plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Petunia are more vigorous than plants of the male parent selection.
  • 2. Plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of Petunia X hybrida ‘Sunrovein’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,468. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Petunia and ‘Sunrovein’ differ primarily in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Petunia are more upright than and not as trailing as plants of ‘Sunrovein’.
  • 2. Plants of the new Petunia have longer leaves than plants of ‘Sunrovein’.
  • 3. Plants of the new Petunia are more freely flowering than plants of ‘Sunrovein’.
  • 4. Plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of ‘Sunrovein’.
  • 5. Flowers of plants of the new Petunia are more rounded than flowers of plants of ‘Sunrovein’.
  • 6. Flowers of plants of the new Petunia are darker in color than flowers of plants of ‘Sunrovein’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates 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 photograph 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 is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dopetsweebapi98’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the spring and summer in 22-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Petunia production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18C and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. 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, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

• Botanical classification: Petunia X hybrida ‘Dopetsweebapi98’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Petunia X hybrida identified as code number TT19-K0815, not patented.
    • Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Petunia X hybrida identified as code number TT20-K0851, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—By terminal vegetative cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at temperatures about 20C.
    • Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at temperatures about 20C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three weeks at temperatures about 20C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four weeks at temperatures about 20C.
    • Root description.—Fine, fibrous; close to 155B 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.—Semi-upright and uniformly mounding plant habit; freely branching habit with about three to five primary lateral branches each with about ten to twelve secondary branches developing after pinching; 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 22.5 cm.
    • Plant diameter.—About 73 cm.
• Lateral branch description:
  • • Length.—About 31 cm.
    • Diameter.—About 6 mm.
    • Internode length.—About 2.4 cm.
    • Strength.—Moderately strong.
    • Aspect.—Initially upright to somewhat outwardly spreading.
    • Texture and luster.—Pubescent; semi-glossy.
    • Color, developing.—Close to 143A.
    • Color, developed.—Close to 144A; at the internodes, close to 144B.
• Leaf description:
  • • Arrangement.—Before flowering, alternate; after flowering, opposite; simple.
    • Length.—About 5.1 cm.
    • Width.—About 2.5 cm.
    • Shape.—Spatulate.
    • Apex.—Obtuse.
    • Base.—Attenuate.
    • Margin.—Entire.
    • Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; leathery; semi-glossy.
    • Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.
    • Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 146A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147C; venation, close to 146B.
    • Petioles.—Length: About 3.1 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Strength: Moderately strong; firm. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color, upper surface: Close to 146B. Color, lower surface: Close to 146C.
• Flower description:
  • • Flower type and flowering habit.—Single salverform flowers arising from leaf axils; freely flowering habit with usually about 408 flowers and flower buds developing per plant during the flowering season; flowers face mostly upright to outwardly.
    • Fragrance.—None detected.
    • Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously during the spring and summer in Germany; early flowering habit, plants typically beginning flowering about nine weeks after planting.
    • Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about two to three days on the plant; flowers persistent.
    • Flower buds.—Length: About 4.4 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Texture and luster: Rippled; semi-glossy. Color: Close to 144B.
    • Flower diameter.—About 5.8 cm by 6.4 cm.
    • Flower depth (height).—About 5.8 cm.
    • Flower throat diameter.—About 1.1 cm.
    • Flower tube length.—About 2.7 cm.
    • Flower tube diameter, proximally.—About 5 mm.
    • Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and opening into a flared trumpet. Petal lobe length (from throat): About 2.5 cm. Petal lobe width: About 2.9 cm. Petal shape: Roughly spatulate. Petal apex: Obtuse. Petal margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Petal texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Rippled, glabrous; semi-glossy. Throat texture and luster: Rippled; semi-glossy. Tube texture and luster: Rippled; semi-glossy. Color: Petal lobe, when opening, upper surface: Close to 75A. Petal lobe, when opening, lower surface: Close to 75B. Petal lobe, fully opened, upper surface: Close to N74C; towards the center, close to NN155D; venation, close to N144A; color does not change with subsequent development. Petal lobe, fully opened, lower surface: Close to N74B; venation, close to N144B; color does not change with subsequent development. Flower throat: Close to 151A; venation, close to 152A. Flower tube: Close to 144C; venation, close to 144B.
    • Sepals.—Arrangement: Five sepals fused at the base forming a tubular star-shaped calyx. Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 2.1 mm. Shape: Oblong. Apex: Rounded. Base: Decurrent. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 147A. When opening, lower surface: Close to 147B. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to N137D. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 146A.
    • Peduncles.—Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy. Color: Close to 143A.
    • Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five. Filament length: About 2.1 cm. Filament color: Close to 145C. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther color: Close to 8D. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 10A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 2.2 cm. Style length: About 1.9 cm. Style color: Close to 145B. Stigma diameter: About 2 mm. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: Close to 145C. Ovary color: Close to 145A. Fruits: Quantity produced per plant: About 76 during the flowering season. Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 161C. Seeds: Quantity per flower: About 269. Length: About 0.4 mm. Diameter: About 0.4 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 200A.
• Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to have good garden performance and 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 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 ‘Dopetsweebapi98’ as illustrated and described.