plant named ‘GOS202118’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Gerbera plant named ‘GOS202118’, characterized by its broadly upright and uniformly mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate; dense and bushy appearance; numerous inflorescences with bright red-colored ray florets; upright and moderately strong peduncles; and good garden performance and relative tolerance to low temperatures.

Description

Botanical designation: Gerbera hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘GOS202118’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Gerbera plant, botanically known as Gerbera hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘GOS202118’.

The new Gerbera plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Kwakel, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden Gerbera plants with numerous and attractive inflorescences, resistance to low temperatures and good garden performance.

The new Gerbera plant originated from a cross-pollination in October, 2020 of a proprietary selection of Gerbera hybrida identified as code number GO 1173, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Gerbera hybrida identified as code number GO 1339, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Gerbera plant was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands in September, 2021.

Asexual reproduction of the new Gerbera plant by vegetative terminal cuttings since April, 2022 in a controlled environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of this new Gerbera plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Gerbera 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 ‘GOS202118’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘GOS202118’ as a new and distinct Gerbera plant:

• • 1. Broadly upright and uniformly mounding plant habit.
  • 2. Dense and bushy appearance.
  • 3. Numerous inflorescences with bright red-colored ray florets.
  • 4. Upright peduncles.
  • 5. Relative tolerance to low temperatures.

Plants of the new Gerbera differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Ray florets of plants of the new Gerbera are shorter than ray florets of plants of the female parent selection.
  • 2. Ray florets of plants of the new Gerbera are darker red in color than ray florets of plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Gerbera differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Gerbera have narrower leaves than plants of the male parent selection.
  • 2. Plants of the new Gerbera have larger inflorescences than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Gerbera can be compared to plants of the Gerbera hybrida ‘Garswlove’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,135. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Gerbera differ from plants of ‘Garswlove’ in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Gerbera have larger inflorescences than plants of ‘Garswlove’.
  • 2. Ray florets of plants of the new Gerbera are more reddish orange in color than ray florets of plants of ‘Garswlove’.
  • 3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Gerbera have a lighter-colored disc than inflorescences of plants of ‘Garswlove’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

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

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘GOS202118’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘GOS202118’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the winter in 19-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in De Kwakel, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial garden Gerbera production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 18° C. and night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 11° C. Plants were five 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: Gerbera hybrida ‘GOS202118’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Gerbera hybrida identified as code number GO 1173, not patented.
    • Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Gerbera hybrida identified as code number GO 1339, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—By vegetative cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 2.5 to 3 weeks at temperatures about 20° C. to 25° C.
    • Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 3 to 3.5 weeks at temperatures about 16° C. to 18° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About four weeks at temperatures about 20° C. to 25° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About five to six weeks at temperatures about 16° C. to 18° C.
    • Root description.—Fibrous; medium in thickness; 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; medium density.
• Plant description:
  • • Appearance.—Herbaceous perennial that is typically grown as a garden plant; broadly upright and uniformly mounding; roughly flattened globular in shape; numerous leaves arranged in basal rosettes; dense and bushy plant habit; inflorescences held above the foliar plane on erect and moderately strong basal peduncles; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate.
    • Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 20 cm.
    • Plant height, soil level to top of inflorescences.—About 40 cm.
    • Plant width or spread.—About 45.2 cm.
• Leaf description:
  • • Arrangement.—Alternate, basal, simple.
    • Length.—About 22.4 cm.
    • Width.—About 7.2 cm.
    • Shape.—Oblanceolate in overall outline.
    • Apex.—Obtuse.
    • Base.—Broadly attenuate.
    • Margin.—Coarsely angulate; proximally, coarsely and irregularly angulate to runcinate; coarsely repand; sinuses parallel to divergent and shallow to medium in depth.
    • Texture and luster, upper surface.—Sparsely pubescent; not rugose; slightly glossy.
    • Texture and luster, lower surface.—Moderately to densely pubescent; slightly rugose; matte.
    • Venation pattern.—Pinnate.
    • Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to a blend of 137A and 143A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137B; venation, close to 146B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 144B.
    • Petioles.—Length: About 5.8 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Moderately pubescent; moderately glossy. Strength: Moderately strong to strong. Color, upper surface: Close to 144B; towards the margins, close to 148A; at the base, close to 164A. Color, lower surface: Close to 144B; towards the base, close to 176B.
• Inflorescence description:
  • • Appearance.—Composite single type inflorescence form with oblanceolate-shaped ray florets; solitary inflorescences borne on upright and moderately strong peduncles and held above the foliar plane; ray and disc florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum; inflorescences face mostly upright.
    • Fragrance.—None detected.
    • Flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about 1.5 months after planting; under garden conditions in The Netherlands, plants flower from late spring into the autumn; plants can be flowered year-round in the greenhouse.
    • Inflorescence longevity.—Depending on the temperature, inflorescences last about three to four weeks on the plant; inflorescences persistent.
    • Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit with at least 13 developing and open inflorescences per plant at one time.
    • Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 2.9 cm. Shape: Flattened and broadly obovate. Texture and luster: Moderately to densely pubescent; matte. Color, immature involucral bracts: Close to 137D; towards the apex, close to 143B and 143C. Color, immature ray florets: Close to a blend of 145B and 150A.
    • Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 8.4 cm. Depth (height): About 3.2 cm. Diameter of disc: About 2.6 cm.
    • Receptacles.—Height: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Shape: Club-shaped. Color: Close to 145D.
    • Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 50 per inflorescence arranged in about three whorls. Orientation: About 60° from vertical; mostly horizontal; distally, slightly curved downward. Length: About 2.9 cm to 4.3 cm. Width: About 4 mm to 9 mm. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Obtuse to slightly emarginate. Base: Narrowly cuneate. Margin: Entire; not undulate. Texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; velvety; matte. Texture and luster, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly velvety; slightly glossy. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 45B. When opening, lower surface: Close to 153D, blushed and striped with close to 168C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to between 42A and 45B; at the base, close to NN155D; color does not change with subsequent development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to a blend of 44A and 44B; color does not change with subsequent development.
    • Disc florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 280 disc florets arranged at center of the inflorescence in an eight-whorl spiral; disc florets three-lobed with a central ray floret-like lobe and two narrower lateral lobes; lower 67% fused into a tube. Length, central lobe, fully mature: About 1.5 cm. Width, central lobe, fully mature: About 2 mm. Length, lateral lobs, fully mature: About 1.5 cm. Width, lateral lobes, fully mature: About 0.6 mm. Apex: Acute; recurved. Margin: Entire; not undulate. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; moderately velvety; matte. Texture, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly velvety; slightly glossy. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 16D; towards the base, close to 8D. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 10A; towards the base, close to 8D. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 10B; towards the base, close to 8D.
    • Pappus.—Quantity of hairs per floret: Numerous. Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: Fine, less than 1 mm. Texture and luster: Soft; matte. Color: Close to 11D.
    • Phyllaries.—Quantity and arrangement: About 60 per inflorescence arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 1.5 cm. Width (at base): About 2 mm. Shape: Linear. Apex: Narrowly acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; moderately glossy. Texture and luster, lower surface: Moderately to densely pubescent; matte. Color, upper surface: Close to 138B. Color, lower surface: Close to 137D; towards the apex, close to 143B and 143C.
    • Peduncles.—Length: About 35.3 cm. Diameter: Proximally, about 5.5 mm and distally, about 4 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Angle: About 17.5° from vertical. Texture and luster: Densely pubescent; slightly glossy. Color: Close to 144B and N144D; distally, close to 138A.
    • Reproductive organs.—Androecium (present on disc florets only): Quantity per floret: Five. Filament length: About 5 mm. Filament color: Close to 155C. Anther shape: Linear; basifixed. Anther size: About 0.3 mm by 3 mm. Anther color: Close to 13A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 14C. Gynoecium (present on ray and disc florets): Quantity per floret: One. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Stigma diameter: About 0.3 mm. Stigma shape: Cleft. Stigma color: Close to 20A. Style length: About 9 mm. Style color: Close to 20B; towards the base, close to 20D. Ovary color: Close to 157D.
    • Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development has not been observed on plants of the new Gerbera.
• Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, resistance to pathogens and pests common to Gerbera plants has not been observed on plants of the new Gerbera grown under commercial production conditions.
• Garden performance: Plants of the new Gerbera have been observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate temperatures ranging from about −6° C. to about 35° C. and to be cold hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 9.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Gerbera plant named ‘GOS202118’ as illustrated and described herein.