plant named ‘SH 1935’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Saxifraga plant named ‘SH 1935’, characterized by its broadly upright and mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate; upper leaf surfaces that are medium green in color with close to black-colored lobes and lower leaf surfaces that are medium green in color with dark red-colored lobes; freely flowering habit; and dark red-colored flowers that are held above the foliar plane.

Description

Botanical designation: Saxifraga cortusifolia.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SH 1935’.

An European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Inventor/Applicant, Mr. Josef Heuger of Glandorf, Germany, on Jul. 12, 2022, application number 2022/1716. Foreign priority is not claimed to this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Saxifraga plant, botanically known as Saxifraga cortusifolia and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘SH 1935’.

The new Saxifraga plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to create new uniform and strong Saxifraga plants with unique and attractive plant habit, leaf and flower coloration.

The new Saxifraga plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany in October, 2017 of a proprietary selection of Saxifraga cortusifolia identified as code number 17-633, not patented, as the female, or seed patent and a proprietary selection of Saxifraga cortusifolia identified as code number 17-076, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Saxifraga plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Glandorf, Germany in October, 2018.

Asexual reproduction of the new Saxifraga plant by in vitro axillary meristem culture in a controlled environment in Glandorf, Germany since May, 2019 has shown that the unique features of this new Saxifraga plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Saxifraga 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 ‘SH 1935’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘SH 1935’ as a new and distinct Saxifraga plant:

• • 1. Broadly upright and mounded plant habit.
  • 2. Moderately vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate.
  • 3. Upper leaf surfaces that are medium green in color with close to black-colored lobes and lower leaf surfaces that are medium green in color with dark red-colored lobes.
  • 4. Freely flowering habit.
  • 5. Dark red-colored flowers that are held above the foliar plane.

Plants of the new Saxifraga differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in leaf color as leaves of plants of the new Saxifraga are lighter green in color than leaves of plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Saxifraga differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in flower color as flowers of plants of the new Saxifraga are lighter red in color than flowers of plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Saxifraga can be compared to plants of Saxifraga cortusifolia ‘SH 1925’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 34,830. Plants of the new Saxifraga differ primarily from plants of ‘SH 1925’ in flower color as flowers of plants of the new Saxifraga are dark red in color whereas flowers of plants of ‘SH 1925’ are purplish pink and purplish red bi-colored.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Saxifraga 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 Saxifraga plant.

The photograph at the top of the first sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘SH 1935’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the first sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘SH 1935’.

The photograph on the left of the second sheet (FIG. 3) is a close-up view of the upper surface of a typical leaf of ‘SH 1935’.

The photograph on the right of the second sheet (FIG. 4) is a close-up view of the lower surface of a typical leaf of ‘SH 1935’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the late autumn in 12-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Glandorf, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Saxifraga production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18 C to 28 C and night temperatures ranged from 14 C to 20 C. Plants were six months old when the photographs and the 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: Saxifraga cortusifolia ‘SH 1935’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Saxifraga cortusifolia disclosed as code number 17-633, not patented.
    • Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Saxifraga cortusifolia disclosed as code number 17-076, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—In vitro axillary meristem culture.
    • Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 55 days at temperatures about 12 C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 170 days at temperatures about 4 C to 15 C.
    • Root description.—Fine to thick, fleshy; typically white to brownish 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.—Low amount of branching; sparse.
• Plant description:
  • • Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; broadly upright and mounding plant habit with flowers held above the foliar plane; overall plant shape, flattened globular; moderately vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate.
    • Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 9 cm.
    • Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 19.3 cm.
    • Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 22 cm.
• Leaf description:
  • • Arrangement.—Leaves arranged in a basal rosette; alternate and single; about eight basal rosettes per plant.
    • Length.—About 5.3 cm.
    • Width.—About 6.1 cm.
    • Shape.—Reniform in outline; palmately lobed.
    • Apex.—Broadly acute.
    • Base.—Truncate, lobes free.
    • Margin.—Shallowly dentate to senate and palmately lobed with about seven to nine lobes per leaf; sinuses shallow in depth and divergent.
    • Texture and luster, upper surface.—Sparsely pubescent along venation; not rugose; slightly glossy.
    • Texture and luster, lower surface.—Sparsely pubescent along venation; not rugose; moderately glossy.
    • Venation pattern.—Pinnate.
    • Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Slightly darker than a blend of 143A and 146A; narrow marginal edges, close to 200A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 147C; narrow marginal edges, close to N186C and N186D. Fully developed leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137B; lobes, close to 203B; venation, close to NN137B tinged with close to 200A and lobes, close to 203B. Fully developed leaves, lower surface: Close to a blend of 146D and 147D; lobes, close to 187A; venation, close to 182C to 182D.
    • Petioles.—Length: About 7.7 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Strength: Weak. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color, upper surface: Close to 178A; distally, tinged with close to 152A. Color, lower surface: Close to 148A; distally, close to 148B.
    • Stipules.—Quantity and arrangement: Two at the base of each petiole. Length: About 1.5 cm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Reniform with fimbriate apices and margins. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 185B to 185C.
• Flower description:
  • • Flower shape and habit.—Rotate flowers arranged in terminal compound corymbs; freely flowering habit with about 70 flowers per inflorescence and about 500 flowers developing per plant; flowers face mostly upright to outwardly.
    • Fragrance.—None detected.
    • Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about six months after planting; plants flower naturally during the autumn in Germany.
    • Flower longevity on the plant.—About two weeks; flowers persistent.
    • Flower buds.—Length: About 2.5 mm. Diameter: About 2.25 mm. Shape: Broadly ovate to close to globular. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color: Immature petals, close to 59B; immature sepals, close to N184D.
    • Inflorescence height (including peduncle).—About 17.2 cm.
    • Inflorescence diameter.—About 10.1 cm.
    • Flower diameter.—About 2 cm by 2.1 cm.
    • Flower depth (height).—About 6 mm.
    • Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: About eight, varying between six and twelve, arranged in a single whorl; upper four to eight petals are smaller than lower two to four petals. Length, upper petals: About 4.5 mm to 9 mm. Length, lower petals: About 15 mm to 18 mm. Width, upper petals: About 2.5 mm to 3 mm. Width, lower petals: About 7 mm to 14 mm. Shape, upper petals: Elliptic to ovate. Shape, lower petals: Narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate or obovate. Apex, upper petals: Acute. Apex, lower petals: Acute, occasionally cleft or moderately praemorse. Base, upper and lower petals: Attenuate. Margin, upper and lower petals: Entire to shallowly serrate; not undulate. Texture and luster, upper and lower petals, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; moderately velvety; matte. Texture and luster, upper and lower petals, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly velvety; matte. Color, upper and lower petals: When opening, upper surface: Close to a blend of 53A and 60A; apices, close to 187B. When opening, lower surface: Close to 63B; apices, close to 63A. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to a blend of 53A and 187C; venation, similar to lamina color; with subsequent development, color becoming closer to 187C. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 59D; towards the margins and the apex, close to 60C to 60D; venation, similar to lamina colors; with subsequent development, color becoming closer to 60C.
    • Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five, arranged in a single whorl. Length: About 3 mm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Broadly cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Texture and luster, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; moderately glossy. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 145A; towards the apex and margins, close to 183A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 146D; towards the apex and margins, close to 183A.
    • Peduncles.—Length: About 15.8 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm. Aspect: About 15 degrees from vertical; secondary peduncles, about 40 degrees from main peduncle axis. Strength: Moderately weak. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; moderately glossy. Color: Close to 146C slightly tinged with close to 178A; at the nodes, strongly tinged with close to 187A to 187B.
    • Pedicels.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Aspect: About 40 degrees from peduncle axis. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster: Sparsely pubescent; slightly glossy. Color: Close to a blend of 144A and 146D; proximally, tinged with close to 187B.
    • Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About ten. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: Close to 155D; becoming close to 186D with subsequent development. Anther shape: Double reniform. Anther size: About 0.5 mm by 0.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 53D. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 26C to 26D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: About two. Pistil length: About 3.5 mm. Stigma diameter: About 0.2 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 157A. Style length: About 3.25 mm. Style color: Close to 145D. Ovary color: Close to 145B. Floral bracts: Quantity per flower: One. Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Bluntly acute. Base: Broadly cuneate. Margin: Entire, occasionally shallowly dentate. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to darker than N186C; proximally, close to 187B. Seeds and fruits: To date, seed and fruit development have not been observed on plants of the new Saxifraga.
• Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Saxifraga have been observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about −7 C to about 35 C and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 8b through 11.
• Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Saxifraga have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Saxifraga plants.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Saxifraga plant named ‘SH 1935’ as illustrated and described.