plant named ‘Surf Nisihasi’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Surf Nisihasi’, characterized by its outwardly spreading plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; long flowering period; large flowers that are purplish red in color with conspicuous darker purplish red-colored venation; and good garden performance.

Description

Botanical designation: Petunia x hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SURF NISIHASI’.

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 Nisihasi’.

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 outwardly 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 16CV-5, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Petunia x hybrida identified as code designation PV1116-A, 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 Nisihasi’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Surf Nisihasi’ as a new and distinct Petunia plant:

• • 1. Outwardly spreading plant habit.
  • 2. Vigorous growth habit.
  • 3. Freely branching habit.
  • 4. Freely flowering habit.
  • 5. Long flowering period.
  • 6. Large flowers that are purplish red in color with conspicuous darker purplish red-colored venation.
  • 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 purplish red in color whereas flowers of plants of the female parent selection are red 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 purplish red in color whereas flowers of plants of the male parent selection are pink in color. In addition, plants of the new Petunia are more spreading than and not as trailing as plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia can also be compared to plants of the Petunia x hybrida ‘Surf Ikuyoko’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 34,985. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Petunia and ‘Surf Ikuyoko’ differ primarily in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Petunia are more spreading than and not as upright as plants of ‘Surf Ikuyoko’.
  • 2. Plants of the new Petunia have longer internodes with fewer leaves per lateral branch than plants of ‘Surf Ikuyoko’.
  • 3. Plants of the new Petunia are more freely flowering than plants of ‘Surf Ikuyoko’.
  • 4. Plants of the new Petunia have slightly smaller flowers than plants of ‘Surf Ikuyoko’.
  • 5. Plants of the new Petunia and ‘Surf Ikuyoko’ differ in flower color as flowers of plants of the new Petunia are purplish red in color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Surf Ikuyoko’ are bright reddish purple in color.
  • 6. Petal venation of plants of the new Petunia is more distinct and conspicuous than petal venation of plants of ‘Surf Ikuyoko’.

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 Nisihasi’ grown in a container.

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

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the late spring and 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 Nisihasi’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Petunia x hybrida identified as code designation 16CV-5, not patented.
    • Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Petunia x hybrida identified as code designation PV1116-A, 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.—Outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit with numerous lateral branches developing per plant; pinching enhances lateral branch development; vigorous growth habit.
    • Plant height.—About 21 cm.
    • Plant diameter.—About 69 cm.
• Lateral branch description:
  • • Length.—About 24 cm.
    • Diameter.—About 3.4 mm.
    • Internode length.—About 2.7 cm.
    • Strength.—Strong, flexible.
    • Aspect.—Upright to outwardly.
    • Texture.—Densely pubescent; rough.
    • Color.—Close to 138A.
• Leaf description:
  • • Quantity and arrangement.—About 13 leaves per lateral branch; alternate, simple.
    • Length.—About 4.1 cm.
    • Width.—About 3.2 cm.
    • Shape.—Elliptic.
    • Apex.—Acute.
    • Base.—Attenuate.
    • Margin.—Entire; undulate.
    • Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Densely pubescent; rough.
    • Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.
    • Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 138A; venation, close to 138B. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B; venation, close to 144C.
    • Petioles.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 2.3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent; rough. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 138B.
• Flower description:
  • • Flower arrangement and habit.—Large single-type salverform flowers arising from upper leaf axils; freely flowering habit with usually about two flowers developing per lateral branch and about 76 flower buds and flowers developing per plant; flowers face upright to outwardly.
    • Fragrance.—None detected.
    • 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 and into the late autumn in Japan.
    • Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about seven to ten days on the plant; flowers not persistent.
    • Flower buds.—Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 1.7 cm. Shape: Cylindrical. Color: Immature sepals, close to 148B; immature petals, close to 77A with venation, close to N148A.
    • Flower diameter.—About 8.3 cm.
    • Flower height.—About 7.5 cm.
    • Flower tube length.—About 4.2 cm.
    • Flower tube diameter, distally.—About 1.8 cm.
    • Flower tube diameter, proximally.—About 4.7 mm.
    • Corolla.—Quantity and arrangement: Five in a single whorl, fused at the base and opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat: About 3.3 cm. Petal width: About 3.9 cm. Petal shape: Roughly spatulate. Petal apex: Acute. Petal margin: Entire; moderately undulate. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Petal, fully opened, upper surface: Close to 61B; venation, close to 61A; color becoming closer to 61C with subsequent development. Petal, fully opened, lower surface: Close to 61C; venation, close to 61C; color does not change with subsequent development. Throat: Distally, close to N155C; mid-section, close to 157B; proximally, close to 157C; venation, close to 64A. Tube: Distally, close to 76C; mid-section, close to 157A; proximally, close to 157C; 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 1.6 cm. Sepal width: About 7.5 mm. Sepal shape: Linear. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire; undulate. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent; rough. Color, upper surface: Close to 138B. Color, lower surface: Close to 138C.
    • Peduncles.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 2.1 mm. Strength: Moderately strong, flexible. Aspect: Upright to outwardly. Texture: Densely pubescent; rough. Color: Close to 138B.
    • Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five. Filament length: About 1.9 cm. Filament color: Close to 145C. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther size: About 2.4 mm by 2.9 mm. Anther color: Close to 145C. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 8C. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 2.4 cm. Style color: Close to 150D. Stigma shape: Transversely ellipsoidal. Stigma color: Close to 150C. Ovary color: Close to 143C. 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 Nisihasi’ as illustrated and described.