plant named ‘Balcabritor’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant named ‘Balcabritor’, characterized by its orange-colored flowers having a red overlay and venation, medium, green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, mounded growth habit, is disclosed.

Description

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Calibrachoa x hybrida.

Variety denomination: ‘Balcabritor’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

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

The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program in Arroyo Grande, California during March 2019. The objective of the breeding program was the development of Calibrachoa cultivars with bright, vibrant flower coloration, and a moderately vigorous, mounded-trailing growth habit.

The new Calibrachoa cultivar is the result of cross-pollination. The female (seed) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Calibrachoa x hybrida breeding selection coded CAL-16033-02, not patented, characterized by its dark, red-colored flowers, medium, green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, mounded growth habit. The male (pollen) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Calibrachoa x hybrida breeding selection coded CAL-15922-01, not patented, characterized by its dark, red-colored flowers, medium, green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, mounded growth habit. The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the above stated cross-pollination during June 2021 in a controlled environment in Arroyo Grande, California.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings since June 2021 in Arroyo Grande, California and West Chicago, Illinois has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedly observed and can be used to distinguish ‘Balcabritor’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant:

• • 1. Orange colored flowers with a red overlay and venation.
  • 2. Medium to dark, green-colored foliage; and
  • 3. Moderately vigorous, mounded growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female and male parents primarily in having orange flowers with a red overlay and venation.

Of the many commercially available Calibrachoa cultivars, the most similar in comparison to the new cultivar is CABARET Orange ‘Balcaborim’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,572. However, in side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of ‘Balcaborim’ in at least the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new cultivar have a lighter orange flower color than plants of ‘Balcaborim’;
  • 2. Plants of the new cultivar have flowers with red venation, unlike plants of ‘Balcaborim’;
  • 3. Plants of the new cultivar have flowers with smaller corollas than plants of ‘Balcaborim’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typical flower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed description, which accurately describes the colors of ‘Balcabritor’. The approximately 5-month-old plants were grown in 4.5-inch pots in a double polyethylene greenhouse in West Chicago, Illinois.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habit of ‘Balcabritor’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of an individual flower of ‘Balcabritor’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature, light intensity, and day length, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, 2015 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significance are used. The color values were determined in March 2025 under natural light conditions in West Chicago, Illinois.

The following descriptions and measurements describe approximately 5-month-old plants produced from cuttings from stock plants and grown in a double polyethylene greenhouse under conditions comparable to those used in commercial practice. The plants were grown in West Chicago, Illinois in 4.5-inch pots for 6 weeks utilizing a soilless growth medium. Plants were given one pinch three weeks before transplant. After approximately six weeks, plants were then transplanted and grown for approximately 14 weeks. Greenhouse temperatures were maintained at approximately 65° F. to 70° F. (18.3° C. to 21.1° C.) during the day and approximately 60° F. to 65° F. (15.6° C. to 18.3° C.) during the night. Supplemental lighting was used. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plants.

• Botanical classification: Calibrachoa x hybrida ‘Balcabritor’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female parent.—Proprietary Calibrachoa x hybrida breeding selection coded CAL-16033-02, not patented.
    • Male parent.—Proprietary Calibrachoa x hybrida breeding selection coded CAL-15922-01.
• Propagation:
  • • Type cutting.—Terminal stem.
    • Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 6 to 8 days.
    • Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 21 to 28 days.
    • Root description.—Fibrous.
    • Rooting habit.—Freely branching.
• Plant description:
  • • Commercial crop time.—Approximately 6 to 9 weeks from a rooted cutting to finish in a 10 cm pot.
    • Growth habit and general appearance.—Moderately vigorous, mounded.
    • Size.—Height from soil level to top of plant plane: Approximately 11.0 cm. Width: Approximately 16.0 cm.
    • Branching habit.—Freely branching, pinching enhances basal branching. Quantity of main branches per plant: Approximately 4.
    • Branch.—Strength: Moderate. Length: Approximately 12.0 cm. Diameter: Approximately 2.0 mm. Length of central internode: Approximately 1.3 cm. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color of young stems: 144C. Color of mature stems: 146C with age becoming woody with an overlay of 199C.
• Foliage description:
  • • General description.—Fragrance: Slight. Form: Simple. Arrangement on flowering stem: Opposite.
    • Leaves.—Aspect: At acute angle to stem with tip turning downward. Shape: Elliptic. Margin: Entire. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Attenuate. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Length of mature leaf: Approximately 2.7 cm. Width of mature leaf: Approximately 1.0 cm. Texture of upper and lower surfaces: Moderately glandular pubescent. Gland color: Colorless, transparent. Color of upper surface of young foliage: 137C with midvein of NN137B. Color of lower surface of young foliage: Closest to 138A with midvein of 147B. Color of upper surface of mature foliage: NN137A with midvein of 146D. Color of lower surface of mature foliage: 146A with midvein of 146D.
    • Petiole.—Length: Approximately 4.0 mm. Diameter: Approximately 1.0 mm. Texture: Moderately glandular pubescent. Gland color: Colorless, transparent. Color: 143B.
• Flowering description:
  • • Flowering habit.—‘Balcabritor’ is freely flowering under outdoor growing conditions with substantially continuous blooming from spring through autumn and year-round in greenhouse environment.
    • Lastingness of individual flower on the plant.—Approximately 5 to 7 days.
• Flower description:
  • • General description.—Type: Single, salverform. Quantity per plant: Approximately 25. Fragrance: None detected.
    • Bud.—Rate of opening: Generally, takes 3 to 4 days for bud to progress from first color to fully open flower. Quantity per plant: Approximately 8.
    • Bud just before opening.—Shape: Oblong. Length: Approximately 2.0 cm. Diameter: Approximately 5.0 mm. Texture: Densely glandular pubescent. Gland color: Colorless, transparent. Color: Petal portion 166B, tube portion 150C, venation of 166A.
    • Corolla.—Diameter: Approximately 2.5 cm.
    • Petals.—Quantity: 5, fused to form a tube. Shape: Obovate. Margin: Entire. Apex: Occasionally shallowly notched. Length from tube: Approximately 1.1 cm. Length of free portion: Approximately 3.0 mm. Width: Approximately 1.4 cm. Texture of upper surface: Glabrous. Texture of lower surface: Glandular pubescent, dense along venation. Gland color: Colorless, transparent. Color of upper surface when first open: N30A to N30B with venation and center of N34A. Color of lower surface when first open: 34B to 34C with midveins of N34A. Color of upper surface when fully open: 24A to 21A with venation and center of N34A. Color of lower surface when fully open: 20A with midveins of N34A.
    • Corolla tube.—Length: Approximately 1.5 cm. Diameter at distal end: Approximately 7.0 mm. Diameter at proximal end: Approximately 1.0 mm. Texture of inner surface: Glabrous. Texture of outer surface: Densely glandular pubescent. Gland color: Colorless, transparent. Color of inner surface: 13A with N34A at throat opening, venation of N34A. Color of outer surface: 13C with venation of N34A and an underlay of 35A at throat opening.
    • Sepals.—Quantity per flower: 5, fused along lower half. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Length: Approximately 1.3 cm. Width: Approximately 3.0 mm. Texture of upper and lower surfaces: Densely glandular pubescent. Gland color: Colorless, transparent. Color of upper surface: 137B. Color of lower surface: 138A with base of 144B.
    • Peduncle.—Strength: Strong, flexible. Aspect: Acute angle to stem. Length: Approximately 0.8 cm. Diameter: Approximately 1.0 mm. Texture: Densely glandular pubescent. Gland color: Colorless, transparent. Color: 144B.
    • Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity: 5, basifixed. Stamen length: Approximately 1.0 cm. Filament length of fixed portion: Approximately 5.0 mm. Filament color: 4B. Anther shape: Bilobed, ovoid. Anther length: Approximately 1.0 mm. Anther color: 8A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: 8C. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: 1 per flower. Pistil length: Approximately 0.8 cm. Stigma shape: Funnel. Stigma length: Less than 1.0 mm. Stigma color: 145A. Style length: Approximately 7.0 mm. Style color: 145B. Ovary diameter: Approximately 1.0 mm. Ovary color: 144B.
• Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has been observed.
• Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to Calibrachoa has not been observed.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant named ‘Balcabritor’ is, substantially as herein illustrated and described.