plant named ‘IFECSSPP’

A new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant named ‘IFECSSPP’, characterized by its relatively compact and upright plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; strong flowering stems; numerous semi-double type inflorescences with bright orange-colored ray florets with orangish yellow-colored receptacle spines; and good garden performance.

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Description

Botanical designation: Echinacea hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘IFECSSPP’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR & APPLICANT/ASSIGNEE

A Polish Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Applicant/Assignee, Innoflora Plant Breeding B.V. of Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands on Jan. 17, 2024, application number O 2261. Foreign priority is not claimed to this application.

An European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Applicant/Assignee, Innoflora Plant Breeding B.V. of Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands on Mar. 4, 2024, application number 2024/0585. Foreign priority is not claimed to this application.

The Inventor and Applicant/Assignee assert that no sales, offers for sale or public distribution of the instant plant 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 disclosures 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 Echinacea plant, botanically known as Echinacea hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘IFECSSPP’.

The new Echinacea plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new vigorous and freely flowering Echinacea plants with large inflorescences with unique and attractive ray floret coloration.

The new Echinacea plant originated from an open-pollination in July 2019 in Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Echinacea hybrida identified as code number 009-16-K042-02, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown proprietary selection of Echinacea hybrida, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Echinacea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands in August 2020.

Asexual reproduction of the new Echinacea plant by in vitro meristem culture in a controlled environment in Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands since September 2020 has shown that the unique features of this new Echinacea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Echinacea have 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 ‘IFECSSPP’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘IFECSSPP’ as a new and distinct Echinacea plant:

    • 1. Relatively compact and upright plant habit.
    • 2. Vigorous growth habit.
    • 3. Freely branching habit.
    • 4. Strong flowering stems.
    • 5. Numerous semi-double type inflorescences with bright orange-colored ray florets with orangish yellow-colored receptacle spines.
    • 6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Echinacea differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

    • 1. Plants of the new Echinacea are more freely branching than plants of the female parent selection.
    • 2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Echinacea have multiple whorls of ray florets whereas inflorescences of plants of the female parent selection have a single whorl of ray florets.
    • 3. Ray florets of plants of the new Echinacea are bright orange in color whereas ray florets of plants of the female parent selection are purple in color.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of Echinacea hybrida ‘IFECSSMIN’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 35,530. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Echinacea differ primarily from plants of ‘IFECSSMIN’ in the following characteristics:

    • 1. Plants of the new Echinacea are taller than plants of ‘IFECSSMIN’.
    • 2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Echinacea are smaller than inflorescences of plants of ‘IFECSSMIN’.

Plants of the new Echinacea can also be compared to plants of Echinacea hybrida ‘TNECHPS’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,169. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Echinacea differ primarily from plants of ‘TNECHPS’ in the following characteristics:

    • 1. Plants of the new Echinacea are taller than plants of ‘TNECHPS’.
    • 2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Echinacea have multiple whorls of ray florets whereas inflorescences of plants of ‘TNECHPS’ have a single whorl of ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Echinacea 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 Echinacea plant.

The photograph on the first sheet FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘IFECSSPP’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet FIG. 2 is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘IFECSSPP’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet FIG. 3 is a close-up view of typical leaves of ‘IFECSSPP’.

 DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in 19-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typically used in commercial Echinaceaproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 8° C. to 20° C. Plants were pinched one time eight weeks after planting and were 18 weeks 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: Echinacea hybrida ‘IFECSSPP’.
  • Parentage.—
      • Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Echinacea hybrida identified as code number 009-16-K042-02, not patented.
      • Male parent.—Unknown proprietary selection of Echinacea hybrida, not patented.
  • Propagation:
      • Type.—By in vitro meristem culture.
      • Time to initiate roots, summer.—About twelve days at temperatures about 20° C.
      • Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 16 days at temperatures about 20° C.
      • Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 36 days at temperatures about 18° C.
      • Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 42 days at temperatures about 18° C.
      • Root description.—Thick, fleshy; 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.—Moderately freely branching; sparse.
  • Plant description:
      • Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; relatively compact and upright plant habit; obovate in overall shape; freely basal branching habit with about nine primary lateral branches and about 19 secondary lateral branches developing per plant; vigorous growth habit and moderate to rapid growth rate.
      • Plant height.—About 56.4 cm.
      • Plant diameter or spread.—About 54 cm.
      • Lateral branches.—Length: About 18.6 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Internode length: About 2.4 cm. Aspect: Erect to about 22.5° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Sparsely pubescent; strigose. Color: Close to 144A.
  • Leaf description:
      • Basal and cauline leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 16.4 cm. Width: About 4.5 cm. Shape: Narrowly ovate. Apex: Narrowly acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Irregular shallowly and coarsely dentate to entire; moderately undulate. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Venation pattern: Pinnate. 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 147B; venation, close to 146D.
      • Petioles, basal and cauline leaves.—Length: About 5.1 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm by 3.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to 137A; midvein, close to 145A. Color, lower surface: Close to 137C; midvein, close to 145A.
  • Inflorescence description:
      • Appearance.—Semi-double type inflorescences with ray and disc florets arranged on a capitulum; inflorescences positioned upright above the foliar plane on mostly upright and strong peduncles.
      • Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with about 33 developing and fully developed inflorescences developing per plant.
      • Fragrance.—Not detected.
      • Time to flower.—Plants flower continuously from late June to late September in an outdoor nursery in The Netherlands.
      • Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good substance for about three weeks on the plant; inflorescences persistent.
      • Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 3.2 cm. Diameter: About 3.2 cm. Shape: Broadly oblong with a flattened top. Color: Immature involucral bracts, close to 138B; immature ray florets, close to 31C and 31D with apices, close to 11A; immature receptacle spines, close to 146A.
      • Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 8.1 cm. Depth (height): About 3.6 cm. Disc diameter: About 3.5 cm.
      • Receptacles.—Height: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 cm. Shape: Broadly ovate to deltoid. Color: Close to 157B.
      • Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 46 to 110 arranged in about four whorls at the base of the receptacle. Length: About 3.4 cm. Width: About 6.5 mm. Shape: Oblanceolate to narrowly oblong; strongly carinate. Apex: Emarginate to praemorse; individual tips are narrowly acute. Base: Narrowly cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; moderately velvety; matte. Texture and luster, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Aspect: About 20° to 45° from horizontal. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 23B; at the apex and base, close to 21C. When opening, lower surface: Close to 25D; apices, close to 16C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 24A; at the apex and base, close to 23B; venation, similar to lamina colors; with subsequent development, color becoming closer to 22A and at the base, closer to 26A. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 31C and 31D; at the apices, close to 22A; color does not change with subsequent development.
      • Disc florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 450 per inflorescence, arranged spirally at the center of the inflorescence. Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Shape: Tubular; distal 15% free, not fused. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin, free-part: Entire. Texture and luster, inner and outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; moderately glossy. Color, when opening, inner and outer surfaces: Apex: Close to 146C to 146D. Mid-section: Close to 145C. Base: Close to 144C. Color, fully opened, inner and outer surfaces: Apex: Close to 146B to 146C. Mid-section: Close to 145C. Base: Close to 144C and 144D.
      • Receptacle spines.—Quantity: One per disc floret; about 450 per inflorescence. Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 1.75 mm. Shape: Acicular. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color: Apex: Close to N163D. Mid-section: Close to 143C. Base: Close to 145D.
      • Involucral bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 120 arranged in about four to five whorls. Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Narrowly ovate to lanceolate; slightly reflexed. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; margins, moderately pubescent; moderately glossy. Texture and luster, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color, upper surface: Close to 137B. Color, lower surface: Close to 146B; margins, close to NN137A.
      • Peduncles.—Length: About 12.9 cm. Diameter: About 5.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Sparsely to moderately pubescent; strigose. Color: Close to 144A.
      • Reproductive organs.—Androecium (present on ray and disc florets): Quantity per floret: Five. Filament length: About 4 mm. Filament color: Close to a blend of 150D and 160D. Anther length: About 3 mm. Anther shape: Linear. Anther color: Close to N200A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 15A. Gynoecium (present only on disc florets): Quantity per floret: One. Pistil length: About 8 mm. Stigma shape: Decurrent. Stigma color: Close to 164A. Style length: About 7 mm. Style color: Close to 151D. Ovary color: Close to 157D. Seeds and fruits: To date, seed and fruit development have not been observed on plants of the new Echinacea.
  • Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Echinacea have not been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Echinacea plants.
  • Garden performance: Plants of the new Echinacea have exhibited good garden performance and to tolerate rain and wind. Plants of the new Echinacea have been observed to tolerate high temperatures of about 35° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 4.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant named ‘IFECSSPP’ as herein illustrated and described.

Patent History
Patent number: PP36452
Type: Grant
Filed: Mar 21, 2024
Date of Patent: Feb 11, 2025
Assignee: INVOFLORA PLANT BREEDING B.V. (Heerhugowaard)
Inventor: Glenn Spil (Zuidermeer)
Primary Examiner: Karen M Redden
Application Number: 18/613,019
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Echinacea (PLT/428)
International Classification: A01H 5/02 (20180101); A01H 6/14 (20180101);