Nandina domestica cv. "Greray"
A new variety of Nandina domestica having significant and improved characteristics not known to exist in either the variety "Harbour Dwarf" of which this new plant is a genetic mutant or the general species Nandina domestica. These characteristics include a symmetrical, densely mounding and compact form.
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This invention relates to the discovery and asexual propagation of a new and distinct variety of Nandina domestica (a member of the Berberidacia family that is commonly known as "Heavenly Bamboo"). The new plant variety was discovered as a mutant of the Nandina domestica nana cultivar named "Harbour Dwarf" in a cultivated bed of "Harbour Dwarf" plants that were growing in the Greenleaf Nursery Company, El Campo, Tex. The new variety of Nandina domestica nana has been named "Greray".
The "Greray" mutant exhibited vastly different growing characteristics than those common to the "Harbour Dwarf" variety-particularly in that the "Greray" variety has a dwarf habit of growth when compared to the Nandina domestica progenitor "Heavenly Bamboo", but it is not as dwarf as its parent Nandina domestica nana "Harbour Dwarf". The new "Greray" variety is symmetrical, densely mounding and compact in form which differentiates and distinguishes it not only from its parent "Harbour Dwarf" and from its progenitor "Heavenly Bamboo", but also from related cultivars such as the variety called "Compacta". The new "Greray" cultivar is freely branching from basal and lateral buds and thus forms a tight compact globe. Its leaves are tripinnately compound.
Testing and evaluation has shown the "Greray" variety to be stable in its distinguishing characteristics over several succeeding generations upon asexual propagation by using shoot cuttings and by tissue culturing at a nursery in El Campo, Tex.
The "Greray" variety fully lives up to the "Heavenly Bamboo" common name often given to this family of plants. Orange hued new growth radiates crown-like upward while refreshing green mature growth extends horizontally to present a perky, full foliaged appearance. The refined texture of this plant is desirable for formal or casual settings. The fullness and controlled height of this dwarf nandina make it a prime choice when accent or foundation plantings are needed.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the new "Greray" variety in color as grown in a nursery in El Campo, Tex. and also enable comparing "Greray" to its progenitor "Heavenly Bamboo", to its parent "Harbour Dwarf", and to another related Nandina domestica cultivar known as "Compacta"; the photographs also show the coloration of new, semi-mature and mature foliage of the new "Greray" variety.
In FIG. 1:
FIG. 1-A is a color photograph of a mature, unpruned parent Nandina domestica "Harbour Dwarf".
FIG. 1-B is a color photograph of a mature, unpruned progenitor Nandina domestica "Heavenly Bamboo."
FIG. 1-C is a color photograph of another mature, unpruned Nandina domestica cultivar known as "Compacta."
FIG. 1-D is a color photograph of a 28 month old unpruned "Greray" nandina grown from softwood cuttings taken from the original mother.
FIG. 2 is a color photograph of a mature, unpruned parent Nandina domestica "Harbour Dwarf" (on the left) and (on the right) the "Greray" plant of FIG. 1-D.
FIG. 3 is a color photograph of a mature, unpruned progenitor Nandina domestica "Heavenly bamboo" (on the left) and (on the right) the "Greray" planat of FIG. 1-D.
FIG. 4 is a color photograph of another mature, unpruned Nandina domestica cultivar known as "Compacta" (on the left) and (on the right) the "Greray" plant of FIG. 1-D.
FIG. 5 is a color photograph of a close up of the new foliage of the "Greray" variety superimposed by the matching color card of the Greyed Orange group R.H.S. 166.
FIG. 6 is a color photograph of a close up of the semi-mature foliage of the "Greray" variety superimposed by the matching color card of the Yellow-Green group R.H.S. 146.
FIG. 7 is a color photograph of a close up of the mature foliage of the "Greray" variety superimposed by the matching color card of the Green group R.H.S. 139.
Throughout this specification, color names beginning with a small letter signify that the name of that color as used in common speech is aptly descriptive. Color names beginning with a capital letter designate values based on The R.H.S. Colour Chart published by The Royal Horticultural Society of London, England.
The descriptive matter which follows pertains to the "Greray" variety of Nandina domestica plants and related cultivars grown outdoors in El Campo, Tex., and is believed to apply to plants of the "Greray" variety grown in similar conditions of soil and climate elsewhere.
DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTIONName: Nandina domestica nana Greray
Parentage: A mutation of asexually propagated Nandina domestica nana "Harbour Dwarf".
Size: Ultimate mature height at 24-36 months will be 24-36".
Growth habit: Dwarf, symmetrical densely compact mound. The plant branches freely from basal and lateral buds.
Foliage:
Arrangement.--Alternate, tri-pinnately compound, evergreen.
Size.--20 cm to 23 cm (mature foliage).
Shape and form.--Leaflets are elliptic-lanceolate and ascending. Leaflets are apex and basal acute.
Leaflet width.--Varies between 8 mm and 17 mm.
Leaflet length.--Varies between 17 mm and 55 mm.
Stem form.--Upright.
Texture: Medium.
Flowers: Perfect flowers that are slightly pink in bud, turning white with yellow anthers; each flower is about 1/4" to 3/8" across, borne in erect terminal panicles about 8-15" long; flowering occurs in April/May in southern temperate zones.
Color:
TABLE I
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TOP SIDE OF LEAF
GULF-
GRERAY MOON BAY STREAM
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New Greyed- Yellow-Green 152 A
Greyed-
Foliage
Orange 174 A Orange 174 A
Mature Green 138 A Yellow-Green 152 B
Yellow-
Foliage Green 147 B
Old Green 139 A Yellow-Green 147 A
Green 139 A
Foliage
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TABLE II
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UNDER SIDE OF LEAF
GRERAY MOON BAY GULF STREAM
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New Greyed- Greyed- Yellow-Green 148 B
Foliage
Orange 177 C
Orange 177 D
Mature Yellow- Yellow- Yellow-Green 148 B
Foliage
Green 146 B
Green 148 C
Old Greyed- Yellow- Green 138 A
Foliage
Green 191 A
Green 147 B
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Climatic range: This plant has survived winter temperatures as low as 5.degree. F. in trials in our Northeastern Oklahoma growing grounds which is somewhat indicative of its parentage which is hardy to Zone 6 USDA.
Table III below is a comparison of the Nandina domestica nana "Greray" with its parent "Harbour Dwarf" and with other related Nandina varieties, including "Compacta," "Heavenly Bamboo," "Moon Bay," "Gulf Stream" and "Lowboy."
TABLE III
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GRERAY HARBOUR DWARF
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Size 24"-36" 18"-24"
at maturity at maturity
Growth Habit
Dwarf, symmetrical,
Extremely dense,
densely compact very dwarf form.
mound branches
freely from basal
and lateral buds.
Foliage Alternate, tri-pinn
Alternate, tri-pinn
compound, evergreen.
compound, evergreen.
Leaflets are
17-15 mm long, and
8-17 mm wide.
Texture Medium Fine
Flowers Perfect flowers Perfect flowers
that are slightly
that are slightly
pink in bud turning
pink in bud turning
white with yellow
white with yellow
anthers, each flower
anthers, each flower
is 1/4" to 3/8" is 1/4" to 3/8"
across, borne in
across, borne in
erect terminal erect terminal
panicles 8-15" long.
panicles 8-15" long.
Flowering occurs in
Flowering occurs in
April/May in April/May in
Southern temperate
Southern temperate
zones. zones.
Flowering is not as
profuse as Nandina
domestica, but is very
similar to parent
`Harbour Dwarf`.
Fruit None observed to
Few small red
date, but expect
berries in fall
to see a few red
berries set in
the clustered
flower heads.
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COMPACTA HEAVENLY BAMBOO
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Size 5'-6' 5'-6'
at maturity at maturity
Growth Habit
More dense than
Upright, generally
parent, Heavenly
unbranched, tends
Bamboo, with a
to open up its
more rhizonous
foliage density
habit of nearer the base
spreading. exposing multiple
canes or shoots.
Foliage Alternate, twice
Alternate, twice
or thrice compound
thrice compound,
with leaflets leaflets are
slightly smaller
25-38 mm long,
than Heavenly evergreen.
Bamboo (20-30
mm), evergreen.
Texture Medium Medium
Flowers Perfect flowers
Perfect flowers
that are slightly
that are slightly
pink in bud turning
pink in bud turning
white with yellow
white with yellow
anthers, each flower
anthers, each flower
is 1/4" to 3/8"
is 1/4" to 3/8"
across, borne in
across, borne in
erect terminal
erect terminal
panicles 8-15" long.
panicles 8-15" long.
Flowering occurs in
Flowering occurs in
April/May in April/May in
Southern temperate
Southern temperate
zones. zones.
Fruit Clusters of small
Clusters of small
red berries in
red berries in
fall. fall.
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MOON BAY GULF STREAM
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Size 20" 30"
at maturity at maturity
Growth Habit
Dwarf, symmetrial,
Dwarf, symmetrical
tight globular densely compact,
shape. Branches
solitary form.
freely from basal
Branches freely
and lateral buds
from basal and
developing multiple
lateral buds,
upright stems with
giving a full
ascending petiole,
round erect
rachis, petiolule
shape.
and leaflets. The
cultivar does not
appear to spread
by rhizones.
Foliage Alternate, 2-3 pinn,
Alternate, tripin-
compound, evergreen,
nately compound,
leaflets 19 cm to
evergreen, leaflets
26.7 cm long, leaflet
are elliptic
are elliptic- lanceolate,
lanceloate, sharply
slightly concave,
concave, ascending.
ascending leaflet,
Leaflet 12.7-5.1 mm
length varies
long by 6.4-12.7 mm
between 13 mm and
wide. 51 mm.
Texture Medium Medium
Flowers None observed None observed
Fruit None observed. None observed.
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LOWBOY
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Size 24"-36"
at maturity
Growth Habit
Stoloniferous; dense
compact, mounded
spreading habit. In
Semmes, AL, there is
more-or-less contin-
uous growth from
June to August.
Foliage 10"-16" long leaf,
16"-24" wide.
leaflets are 1/2" to
2" long, 8"-12" wide.
Tripinnately compound
leaflets, subsessile,
elliptic-lanceolate,
cuneate, prominent
midveins, secondary
veins scarcely
noticeable. Leaflets
composed of up to
170, 1/2 to 2" long,
one-half size of
species.
Texture Somewhat leathery
Flowers Small white flowers
in May and June
Fruit Small red berry
on 3-4 yr. old plants
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Claims
1. The new and distinct variety of Nandina domestica nana called "Greray" as illustrated and described.
Type: Grant
Filed: Jun 2, 1992
Date of Patent: Jan 4, 1994
Assignee: Greenleaf Nursery Company (Park Hill, OK)
Inventor: Richard A. Young (El Campo, TX)
Primary Examiner: James R. Feyrer
Law Firm: Synnestvedt & Lechner
Application Number: 7/893,411
International Classification: A01H 500;
