Mandarin plant named ‘Mikanken15’

Abstract

A new variety of Citrus plant named ‘Mikanken15’ that has dark orange fruit color, without seeds, high juiciness, orange-like flavor, ease of peeling the fruit by hand, good appearance, and good tasting qualities.

Description

Common name: Mandarin.

Botanical classification: Citrus spp.

Variety denomination: ‘Mikanken15’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Mandarin, Citrus spp., which has been given the variety denomination ‘Mikanken15’.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

The parent varieties are ‘HAREHIME’ (female parent) (not patented in the U.S., plant variety protection granted in Japan, PVP No. 1,209) and ‘Ehime17’ (male parent) (not patented in the U.S. nor in other countries), 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. The rootstock used was ‘MIYAGAWAWASE’ (not patented in the U.S. nor in other countries) as an interstock grafted onto Poncirus trifoliata (trifoliate orange).

In 2005, crossing the parent varieties.

In 2006, collected seeds were grown.

In 2008, they were grafted on top of rootstock.

In 2010, the first fruit was harvested.

In 2012, lines were primary selected and secondary selected, and the variety was named ‘Mikanken15’.

In 2024, Breeding is completed with determination of distinct, uniform, and stable (DUS) status confirmed.

Cultivation of the variety does not require special conditions or treatments.

The variety is currently mainly intended for fruit production.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

The new mandarin plant ‘Mikanken15’ has leaf blades with very small ratio length/width, short petiole length, very short length of petal, which distinguish ‘Mikanken15’ from its female parent ‘HAREHIME’.

Also, the new mandarin plant ‘Mikanken15’ having absent or sparse density of spines, and short petiole length and very short length of petal, distinguish it notably from the comparative variety ‘SEINANNOHIKARI’ (not patented in the U.S., plant variety protection granted in Japan, PVP No. 17,969).

A comparison with the male parent ‘Ehime17’ is not available because ‘Ehime17’ was an old breeding line, whose states of characteristics are unknown and for which there are no long living plant materials.

A comparison with both ‘HAREHIME’ and ‘SEINANNOHIKARI’ is as follows (evaluation based on averages):

TABLE 1
			Present
	Reference	Reference	variety
	variety	variety	‘Mikanken
Characteristics	‘HAREHIME’	‘SEINANNOHIKARI’	15’
Tree: Density	Absent or	Dense	Absent or
of spine	sparse		sparse
Leaf blade: ratio	Medium	Very small	Very small
length/width	(2.3)	(1.9)	(2.0)
Petiole: length	Long	Medium	Short
	(2.0 cm)	(1.5 cm)	(1.3 cm)
Flower: length	Short	Short	Very short
of petal	(12.5 mm)	(13.6 mm)	(7.2 mm)

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 the mandarin plant ‘Mikanken15’ bearing fruits.

FIG. 2 is a color photograph showing flowers of ‘Mikanken15’

FIG. 3 is a color photograph showing leaves of ‘Mikanken15’;

FIG. 4 is a color photograph showing fruits of ‘Mikanken15’.

FIG. 5 is a color photograph showing the flowers of ‘Mikanken15’ and the comparative varieties ‘HAREHIME’ and ‘SEINANNOHIKARI’, illustrating the difference in the lower length of petals.

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

The botanical description and the photographs are of the ‘Mikanken15’ plants evaluated in 2023 and 2024 (including for the comparison with the reference plants ‘HAREHIME’ and ‘SEINANNOHIKARI’). The values provided are averages.

The plants shown on the photographs were grown at Uwajima, Ehime, Japan. The plant is a 10-year old plant grown after top grafting. The tree was photographed on Dec. 3, 2023, the flowers were photographed on Apr. 25, 2024, the mature leaves were photographed on Dec. 17, 2023, and the fruit were photographed on Dec. 3, 2023. The botanical description below is that of a 10-year old plant.

Colors are given according to the Colors are given according to the J.H.S. (Japan Horticultural Society) Color Chart. (2nd edition 1997 reprint).

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

TABLE 2
Characteristics	States	Values
Ploidy	Diploid
Tree: height		3.6	m
Tree: spread		3.5	m
Tree: trunk diameter (10 cm above the		23	cm
graft location)
Trunk texture	Rough
Crotch angle		62°
Tree: growth habit	Spreading
Tree: density of spines	Absent or	5.3
	sparse
Tree: length of spines		0.3	cm
Branch: length		7.5	mm
Branch: diameter		2.9	mm
Branch: texture	Smooth
Leaf blade: length (apical leaflet in case	Medium	9.5	cm
of compound leaf)
Leaf blade: width (as for No. 5)	Medium	4.8	cm
Leaf blade: ratio length/width (as for No.	Very small	2.0
5)
Leaf blade: shape in cross section (as	Intermediate
for No. 5)
Leaf blade: twisting	Absent or
	weak
Leaf blade: blistering	Absent or
	weak
Leaf blade: green color	Medium
Leaf blade: undulation of margin	Absent or
	weak
Leaf blade: incisions of margin	Absent
Leaf blade: shape of apex	Acute
Leaf blade: emargination at tip	Absent
Petiole: length	Short	1.3	cm
Petiole: presence of wings	Present
Varieties with petiole wings present	Narrow	2.9	mm
only: Petiole: width of wings
Flower: diameter of calyx		0.6	cm
Flower: length of petal	Very short	7.2	mm
Flower: width of petal	Medium	5.3	mm
Flower: ratio length/width of petal		1.4
Flower: length of stamens		4.7	mm
Anther: color	Light yellow	JHS 2202
Style: length		4.5	mm
Infructescence: clustering of fruits	Present
Fruit: length		4.6	cm
Fruit: diameter		7.9	cm
Fruit: ratio length/diameter	Medium	1.72
Fruit: position of broadest part	At middle
Fruit: shape in transverse section	Circular
Fruit: general shape of proximal part	Flattened
(excluding neck, collar and depression
at stalk end)
Fruit: presence of neck	Absent
Only varieties without fruit neck: Fruit:	Present
presence of depression at stalk end
Only varieties without fruit neck:		4.3	mm
Fruit: depth of depression at stalk end
Fruit: presence of constriction at stalk	Absent
end
Fruit: number of radial grooves at stalk	Intermediate
end
Fruit: length of radial grooves at stalk		9.6	mm
end
Fruit: presence of collar	Absent
Fruit: abscission layer between floral	Absent or
disc and fruit	weakly
	developed
Fruit: general shape of distal part	Flattened
(excluding nipple, bulging of navel and
depression at distal end)
Fruit: presence of depression at distal	Present
end
Fruit: depth of depression at distal end		2.1	mm
Fruit: diameter of depression at distal		32.4	mm
end
Fruit: presence of areola	Incomplete
Fruit: Type of areola	Smooth
Fruit: Diameter of areola		1.7	cm
Fruit: diameter of stylar scar		2.1	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)	Medium	JHS 1605
	orange
Fruit surface: glossiness	Medium
Fruit surface: roughness	Smooth
Fruit surface: size of oil glands	All more
	or less the
	same size
Fruit surface: size of larger oil glands	Small
Fruit surface: conspicuousness of larger	Strong
oil glands
Fruit surface: presence of pitting and	Pitting and
pebbling on oil glands	pebbling
	absent
Fruit rind: thickness	Thin	2.2	mm
Fruit rind: adherence to flesh	Weak
Fruit rind: strength	Medium
Fruit rind: oiliness	Dry
Fruit rind: conspicuousness of oil glands	Absent
on inner surface	or weakly
	conspicuous
Fruit: color of albedo	White	JHS 2502
Fruit: density of albedo	Loose
Fruit: amount of albedo adhering to	Small
flesh (strands excluded)
Fruit: presence of albedo strands	Present
Fruit: Amount of albedo strand	Medium
Fruit: main color of flesh	Dark orange	JHS 1607
Fruit: filling of core	Sparse
Fruit: diameter of core	Large	20.1	mm
Fruit: presence of rudimentary	Absent or
segments	very weak
Fruit: number of well-developed		15
segments
Fruit: coherence of adjacent segment	Medium-
walls
Fruit: strength of segment walls	Weak
Fruit: length of juice vesicle		4.0	mm
Fruit: thickness of juice vesicles		2.3	mm
Fruit; conspicuousness of juice vesicle	Medium
walls
Fruit: coherence of juice vesicles	Medium
Fruit: presence of navel (viewed	Absent or
internally)	very rare
Fruit: juiciness	High
Fruit juice: total soluble solids	High	14.9
Fruit juice: acidity	Low	0.91
Fruit: strength of fiber	Weak
Fruit: number of seeds (open	Absent or	0
pollination)	very few
Seed: polyembryony	Absent
Time of maturity of fruit for consumption	Very early	January
	to early
Fruit: parthenocarpy	Present
Fruit productivity (pounds or bushels		Not
per acre)		examined

Other features of the plant are as follows:

• Disease and pest resistance: Not observed to date.
• Tree hardiness: USDA Hardiness Zone 9b.

Claims

1. A new and distinct variety of Citrus plant named ‘Mikanken15’, substantially as described and illustrated herein.