Bracteantha plant named `Redbrared`

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Bracteantha named `Redbrared`, characterized by its compact and bushy growth habit; upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant form; freely-flowering habit; yellow orange and red-colored involucral bracts and yellow orange-colored disc florets; and short and strong peduncles that hold inflorescences above the foliage.

Description

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Bracteantha bracteata cultivar Redbrared.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Bracteantha plant, botanically known as Bracteantha bracteata and referred to by the name `Redbrared`.

The new Bracteantha is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia. The objective of the program is to create and develop Bracteantha cultivars with a compact growth habit, numerous inflorescences with attractive involucral bract coloration and long-lasting inflorescences.

The new Bracteantha originated from a cross-pollination by the Inventor in February, 1997, of a proprietary selection of Bracteantha bracteata identified as code number 95-137, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Bracteantha bracteata identified as code number 95-155, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Bracteantha was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia in June, 1998. The selection of the new Bracteantha was based on its red-colored involucral bracts and compact growth habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new Bracteantha by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia since September, 1998, has shown that the unique features of this new Bracteantha are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Bracteantha has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of `Redbrared` and distinguish the new Bracteantha as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Compact and bushy growth habit.

2. Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant form.

3. Freely-flowering habit.

4. Yellow orange and red-colored involucral bracts and yellow orange-colored disc florets.

5. Short and strong peduncles that hold inflorescences above the foliage.

Plants of the new Bracteantha can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, plants of the new Bracteantha differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Bracteantha were shorter and more compact than plants of the female parent selection.

2. Involucral bracts of plants of the new Bracteantha were yellow orange and red in color whereas involucral bracts of plants of the female parent selection were pink in color.

Plants of the new Bracteantha can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, plants of the new Bracteantha differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Bracteantha were shorter and more compact than plants of the male parent selection.

2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Bracteantha were circular in shape whereas inflorescences of plants of the male parent selection were star-shaped.

3. Involucral bracts of plants of the new Bracteantha were yellow orange and red in color whereas involucral bracts of plants of the male parent selection were red in color.

Plants of the new Bracteantha can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Redbrabro, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,989. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, plants of the new Bracteantha differed from plants of the cultivar Redbrabro in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Bracteantha were more compact than plants of the cultivar Redbrabro.

2. Plants of the new Bracteantha were more freely branching than plants of the cultivar Redbrabro.

3. Plants of the new Bracteantha were more freely flowering than plants of the cultivar Redbrabro.

4. Involucral bracts of plants of the new Bracteantha were yellow orange and red in color whereas involucral bracts of plants of the cultivar Redbrabro were bronze in color.

5. Plants of the new Bracteantha had fewer disc florets than plants of the cultivar Redbrabro.

6. Plants of the new Bracteantha had shorter peduncles than plants of the cultivar Redbrabro.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, 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 description which accurately describe the colors of the new Bracteantha.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of `Redbrared` grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of `Redbrared`. Plants used for the photographs were grown in 15-cm containers during the spring in an outdoor nursery and were about three months old when the photographs were taken.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia during the spring and summer under outdoor conditions with day temperatures ranging from 15 to 30°C C. and night temperatures ranging from 10 to 15°C C. Rooted liners of the new Bracteantha were planted in three-gallon containers and grown for about six months. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Bracteantha bracteata cultivar Redbrared.

Parentage:

Female or seed parent.--Proprietary selection of Bracteantha bracteata identified as code number 95-137, not patented.

Male or pollen parent.--Proprietary selection of Bracteantha bracteata identified as code number 95-155, not patented.

Propagation:

Type.--By cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.--Summer: About one week at 30°C C. Winter: About two weeks at 20°C C.

Time to produce a rooted young plant.--Summer: About three weeks at 30°C C. Winter: About four weeks at 20°C C.

Root description.--Fine to fibrous; pale brown in color.

Rooting habit.--Freely-branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.--Compact and bushy growth habit; upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant form with dense foliage and inflorescences held above the foliage on short peduncles. Vigorous growth habit. Freely branching, about 267 lateral branches per plant. Appropriate for three-gallon containers.

Plant height.--About 31 cm.

Plant width.--About 54 cm.

Lateral branch description.--Length: About 37 cm. Width: About 8.3 mm. Internode length: About 1.3 cm. Aspect: Erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent. Color: 143D.

Foliage description.--Arrangement: Alternate, single; sessile. Length: About 6.7 cm. Width: About 1.3 cm. Shape: Linear elliptic. Margin: Entire. Apex: Acute. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Leathery; smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern: Narrowly arcuate to reticulate. Color: Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface: 137B; venation, close to 137B. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 137C, venation, 146D.

Flowering description:

Inflorescence form.--Daisy-type composite inflorescence form. Inflorescences arranged acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences circular in shape.

Inflorescence longevity.--Inflorescences last on the plant for about five weeks. Inflorescences persistent.

Natural flowering season.--Natural flowering season is year-round in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia; flowering continuous.

Quantity of inflorescences.--One terminal inflorescence per lateral branch, about 166 inflorescences per plant at one time.

Fragrance.--Moderate; sweet.

Inflorescence aspect.--Cupped.

Inflorescence diameter.--About 3.8 cm.

Inflorescence depth (height).--About 1.5 cm.

Disc diameter.--About 1.6 cm.

Receptacle diameter.--About 1.6 cm.

Receptacle height.--About 7.1 mm.

Inflorescence buds.--Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 cm. Shape: Roughly spherical. Color: 187B.

Involucral bracts.--Quantity per inflorescence: About 192 in multiple whorls. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 4.7 mm. Shape: Ligulate, concave. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, papery, stiff, satiny. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Towards the apex, 53B; mid-section, 40B; towards the base, 26A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Inner bracts, 26B; center bracts, 42A; outer bracts, 187B.

Disc florets.--Arrangement: Massed in the center of the receptacle with one whorl of filiform florets at the perimeter of the disc. Quantity per inflorescence: About 305. Shape: Tubular with five lobes. Length: About 5.9 mm. Diameter, apex: About 0.9 mm. Diameter, base: About 0.6 mm. Color, immature: 26A. Color, mature: Towards the apex, 26A; towards the base, 22B.

Peduncle.--Length: About 5.2 cm. Diameter: About 2.6 mm. Aspect: Erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent. Color: 143C.

Androecium.--Present only on disc florets; minute. Arrangement: Fused anther tube with five long thin linear anthers surrounding the style. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther code: Yellow. Amount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: Yellow.

Gynoecium.--Present on both filiform and disc florets; minute. Quantity per floret: One. Style color: 23A towards the stigma; towards the base, pale yellow to white. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: 23A.

Seed.--Seed development has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Bracteantha have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Bracteantha.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Bracteantha have been observed to tolerate temperatures from -4 to 40°C C.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Bracteantha plant named `Redbrared`, as illustrated and described.