Mandarin plant named ‘Mikanken14’

Abstract

A new variety of Citrus sp. plant named ‘Mikanken14’ that has vivid orange as the surface predominant color of the fruit, strong orange as main color of the flesh, and very early to early maturity of the fruit for consumption.

Description

Common name: Mandarin.

Botanical classification: Citrus sp.

Variety denomination: ‘Mikanken14’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of mandarin, Citrus sp., which has been given the variety denomination ‘Mikanken14’.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

The parent varieties are ‘Unknown mandarin variety’ (male parent) and ‘Mikanken4’ (female parent) (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 18/944,163), respectively.

The variety was developed and propagated in Uwajima, Ehime, Japan.

The variety was reproduced asexually by vegetative reproduction by top grafting one-year-old scions on rootstocks, in Uwajima, Ehime, Japan. The name of the rootstock is ‘MIYAGAWAWASE’ (not patented).

In 2005, crossing the parent varieties and collecting seeds to be grown in the next year.

In 2006 and 2007, seeds were planted and grown.

In 2008, scions were grafted on top of root stock.

In 2010, the first fruit was harvested, and lines were primarily selected.

In 2012, lines were secondary selected.

In 2024, breeding was completed with DUS status confirmed (distinct, uniform, and stable), whereby it was confirmed that the instant tree reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction, and the variety was named ‘Mikanken14’.

Cultivation of variety does not require special conditions or treatments. The variety is currently mainly intended for fruit production.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

This new mandarin plant ‘Mikanken14’ has medium orange as the surface predominant color of the fruit, medium orange as main color of the flesh, and very early to early maturity of the fruit for consumption, that distinguish it notably from its female parent ‘Mikanken4’ (dark orange surface as predominant color of the fruit, dark orange as main color of the flesh, late maturity of the fruit for consumption)

Also, ‘Mikanken14’ has very thin rind thickness of the fruit, absent or very sparse of filling of the core, very small diameter of the core, that distinguish it notably from its comparative variety ‘HAREHIME’ (not patented in the U.S., plant variety protection granted in Japan) (thin rind thickness of the fruit, sparse of filling of the core, medium diameter of the core).

In addition, the fruit of ‘Mikannken14’ has the following characteristics: the fruit size is from 150 g to 200 g, the strength of the segment walls is weak, the fruit has no seeds, in early December, the total soluble solids (Brix) of juice are about 15 degrees and the juice acidity is medium, and the time of maturity of the fruit is from late December to January.

Table 1 shows a comparison between the instant variety ‘Mikanken14’ and Female parent variety ‘Mikanken4’, as follows (average evaluation):

TABLE 1
Comparison between ‘Mikanken14’ and ‘Mikanken4’
	Female
	parent	Present
	variety	variety
	‘Mikanken4’	‘Mikanken14’
Characteristics	States	States
Fruit: surface	Dark orange	Vivid orange
predominant color
Fruit: main color of flesh	Dark orange	Strong orange
Plant: time of maturity of	Late	Very early to
fruit for consumption		early

Table 2 shows a comparison between the instant variety ‘Mikanken14’ and comparative variety ‘HAREHIME’

TABLE 2
Comparison between ‘Mikanken14’ and ‘HAREHIME’
	Comparative	Present
	variety	variety
	‘HAREHIME’	‘Mikanken14’
Characteristics	States	States
Fruit: rind thickness	Thin	Very thin
Fruit: filling of core	Sparse	Absent or very
		sparse
Fruit: diameter of core	Medium	Very small

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings, which are as nearly true as is reasonable possible to make in a color illustration of this type:

FIG. 1 is a color photograph showing a general view of an illustrative 12-year old mandarin tree of the variety named ‘Mikanken14’ bearing fruits.

FIG. 2 is a color photograph showing flowers of ‘Mikanken14’.

FIG. 3 is a color photograph showing leaves of ‘Mikanken14’.

FIG. 4 is a color photograph showing fruits of ‘Mikanken14’.

FIG. 5 is a color photograph showing fruits of ‘Mikanken14’ and ‘Mikanken4’, which indicates the difference of fruit: surface predominant color and main color of the flesh.

FIG. 6 is a color photograph showing fruits of ‘Mikanken14’ and ‘HAREHIME’, which indicates the difference of the fruit: thickness of rind, filling of the core, diameter of the core.

Due to chemical and/or digital development, processing and printing, the plants or portions of plants depicted in the photographs may or may not be precisely accurate when compared to the actual botanical specimens.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Table 3 shows the botanical description of the ‘Mikanken14’ plants evaluated in 2023 (including the comparison with the reference plants ‘Mikanken4’ and ‘HAREHIME’). The values as provided are average. The ages of the trees evaluated was 13 years after grafted on top of Rootstock, and the location of the trees evaluated was in Uwajima, Ehime, Japan.

Colors are given according to the J.H.S. (Japan Horticultural Society) Color Chart (second edition, 1997 reprint).

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

TABLE 3
Botanical description of ‘Mikanken 14’
Characteristics	States	Values
Ploidy	Diploid
Tree: growth habit	Spreading
Tree: density of spines	Absent or sparse
Tree: height		2.5 m
Tree: spread		3.0 m
Tree: trunk diameter (10 cm above		32.5 cm
the grafted area)
Tree: trunk texture	Rough
Tree: crotch angle		71°
Branch: length		11.5 cm
Branch: diameter		3.8 cm
Branch: texture	Smooth
Length of spines		4.7 cm
Leaf blade: length (apical leaflet in	Long	11.4 cm
case of compound leaf)
Leaf blade: width (apical leaflet in	Broad	5.1 cm
case of compound leaf)
Leaf blade: ratio length/width (apical	Small	2.2
leaflet in case of compound leaf)
Leaf blade: shape in cross section	Intermediate
(apical leaflet in case of compound
leaf)
Leaf blade: twisting	Absent or weak
Leaf blade: blistering	Absent or weak
Leaf blade: color	Dark green	3509 (JHS
		Color Chart)
Leaf blade: undulation of margin	Intermediate
Leaf blade: incisions of margin	Absent
Leaf blade: shape of apex	Acute
Leaf blade: emargination at tip	Absent
Petiole: length	Medium	1.9 cm
Petiole: presence of wings	Present
Varieties with petiole wings present	Narrow	4.1 mm
only: petiole: width of wings
Flower: diameter of calyx		0.8 cm
Flower: length of petal	Short	13.4 mm
Flower: width of petal	Broad	6.2 mm
Flower: ratio length/width of petal		2.2
Flower: length of stamens		9.8 mm
Anther: color	Pale reddish	2202 JHS
	yellow	Color Chart
Style: length		7.0 mm
Infructescence: clustering of fruits	Absent
Fruit: length		5.6 cm
Fruit: diameter		7.1 cm
Fruit: ratio length/diameter		1.27
Fruit: position of broadest part	At middle
Fruit: shape in transverse section	Circular
Fruit: general shape of proximal	Flattened
part (excluding neck, collar and
depression at stalk end)
Fruit: presence of neck	Absent
Fruit: presence of depression at	Absent
stalk end
Fruit: presence of constriction at	Absent
stalk end
Fruit: number of radial grooves	Absent or few	0
at stalk end
Fruit: presence of collar	Absent
Fruit: abscission layer between	Absent or weakly
floral disc and fruit	developed
Fruit: general shape of distal part	Flattened
(excluding nipple, bulging of navel
and depression at distal end)
Fruit: presence of depression at	Present
distal end
Fruit: depth of depression at distal		1.3 mm
end
Fruit: diameter of depression at		9.0 mm
distal end
Fruit: presence of areola	Incomplete
Fruit: type of areola	Smooth
Fruit: diameter of areola		0.9 cm
Fruit: diameter of stylar scar		1.4 mm
Fruit: persistence of style	None
Fruit: presence of navel opening	Absent
Fruit: presence of radial grooves at	Absent
distal end
Fruit: surface: predominant color(s)	Vivid orange	1605 (JHS
		Color Chart)
Fruit surface: glossiness	Strong
Fruit surface: roughness	Smooth
Fruit surface: size of oil glands	All more or less
	the same size
Fruit surface: size of larger oil	Medium
glands
Fruit surface: conspicuousness of	Strong
larger oil glands
Fruit surface: presence of pitting	Pitting and
and pebbling on oil glands	pebbling absent
Fruit rind: thickness	Very thin	1.5 mm
Fruit rind: adherence of flesh	Weak to medium
Fruit rind: strength	Medium
Fruit rind: oiliness	Dry
Fruit rind: conspicuousness of oil	Absent or
glands on inner surface	weakly
	conspicuous
Fruit: color of albedo	Yellowish white	2502 (JHS
		Color Chart)
Fruit: density of albedo	Medium
Fruit: amount of albedo adhering	Medium
to flesh (strand excluded)
Fruit: presence of albedo strands	Present
Fruit: amount of albedo strands	Medium
Fruit: main color of flesh	Strong orange	1606 (JHS
		Color Chart)
Fruit: filling of core	Absent of very
	sparse
Fruit: diameter of core	Very small	9.4 mm
Fruit: presence of rudimentary	Absent or very
Segments	weak
Fruit: number of well-developed		11
segments
Fruit: coherence of adjacent segment	Medium
walls
Fruit: strength of segment wails	Weak
Fruit: length of juice vesicles		4.8 mm
Fruit: thickness of juice vesicles		2.9 mm
Fruit conspicuousness of juice vesicle	High
walls
Fruit; coherence of juice vesicles	Medium
Fruit: presence of navel (viewed	Absent or very
internally)	rare
Fruit: juiciness	High
Fruit juice: total soluble solids	High	14.2 (Brix)
Fruit juice: acidity	Medium	1.07
Fruit: strength of fiber	Weak
Fruit: number of seeds (open	Absent or very	0
pollinated)	few
Seed: polyembryony	Absent
Plant: time of maturity of fruit for	Very early to	December
consumption	early
Plant: fruit: parthenocarpy	Present
Fruit productivity		35 ton/ha

• Other features of the plant are as follows:
  • • Disease and pest resistance.—Not observed to date.
    • Tree Hardiness.—USDA Hardiness Zone 9a-9b (until −3° C.).

Claims

1. A new and distinct variety of Citrus sp. plant named ‘Mikanken14’, substantially as described and illustrated herein.