USPP3171P - knicely etal p - Google Patents

Description

May 16, 1972 w, w. Kmc L ETAL Plant Pat. 3,171

AZALEA PLANT Filed July 20. 1970 INVENTORS WALTER W. KNICELY & WILLIAM E. DUFFETT United States Patent The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of azalea plant which has resulted from crossing certain azalea selections in a program of hybridization. The seed parent is unnamed and unpatented, and identifled for breeding purposes as seedling #1035. The pollen parent is likewise unnamed and unpatented, and identified for breeding purposes as seedling #1040.

The new variety is similar in certain respects to Skylark, an unpatented but well-known commercial variety, having the same characteristics as Skylark of rapid growth, keeping quality and evergreen foliage. The new variety is distinguished from Skylark by the following characteristics:

(1) The new variety buds easier and more uniformly than Skylark.

(2) The new variety though vigorous growing has no tendencies toward irregular shoot differentiation and wild growth, as compared to Skylark, and needs no growth regulator. ISkyIar-k usually needs a growth regulator to control wild growth.

(3) The new variety responds (buds) earlier by several weeks 'when compared with Skylar-k in both natural and year round programs.

3(4) The new variety has at least a week longer keeping quality in the home than Skylark.

(5) The new variety is a lighter pink color than Skylark.

The new variety was selected from progeny of seedlings from the above mentioned parents. Varietal worth was determined by flowering liners built up from the initial selection in both year round and natural season developmental flowering programs over a period of four years. Stock growth was evaluated in the vicinity of Fort Myers, Fla.

My new variety has been asexually reproduced by cuttings at Barberton, Ohio, and has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

My new variety when grown in the vicinity of Barberton, Ohio has a response described as early-mid season in natural programs and early season in year round programs. It will, however, be understood that the response time and blooming period may vary significantly with varying environmental conditions such as temperature and amount of daylight. Suggested flowering period is from mid-December through April in a natural season program and year-round (all 12 months) in a controlled flowering program.

The accompanying drawing shows the unique features of my new variety, the colors being as nearly true as possible with color illustrations of this type.

The following is a detailed description, including color designations of my new variety, based on observations made of the new variety in a greenhouse in Barberton, Ohio. The color references are to the Munsell Color Book, 1963 edition:

Botanical classification: Rhododendron hybrz'da, evergreen type.

2 ice Flower:

Color. Rose pink general tonality rose pink 6.25RP5/l4-sepals first divide-rose pin-k 8.75 RP4/ l2petals unfurl--rose pink 6.25RP5/14- fully 0penrose pink, lighter than 6.'25RP5/14- inside petals-rose pink 6.25RP5/l4-reverse petalsrose pink, lighter than 6.25RP5/14-base of petalssalmon pink, near 2.5R7/ 8 blotchslightly darker than general base color 6.25RP5/ 14; outer hose not completely petaloid, rose pink 6:25RP5/ 14 with the pink near 7.5RP8/4 and green blotches S'GYS 6 discoloration retains color for 3 weeks followed by gradual fading. Bright greenhouse will speed fading.

Bud. Size medium form conoidal- Opening habitfully expanded petals rose budlike; open, cup-like, retains cupped form.

Bloom. Size medium-large; average 2%";

range2%"3"borneseveral together; average 3, range l4-formsemi-double with varying number of petaloid anthers; calyx of individual flowers petaloid to varying degrees.

Blooming habit.0nce, profusely.

Resp0nse.Natural season early. Christmas flowering possible all areas. Year round-early. Sets buds easily and uniformly under a wide range of conditions.

Sepals.-+N0rmal, smooth, somewhat hairy, persistent.

Peduncle.Length-long; aspect, hairy; strength,

strong.

Petals.Texture-softappearanceinside, satiny; outside, satiny-formrounded wavy marginsarrangement imbricate with petaloids fragrance none persistence-hang on and dry; non-shatter longevity greenhoue, 3 weeks; home 4 weeks.

Reproductive 0rgans.Stamen anthers510 many petaloid, tannish pink, near 7.5YR7/4 filamentsthin, pubescent, light pink 10RP7/4- style-generally columnar; may be fasciated, pink 10RP6/10stigmas-generally normal, may be fasciated, tan near 5YR6/6-ovaries-hypogynous.

Plant: Bush form.

Growth habir.Spreading, compact, horizontal, with growth regulators not beeing needed for compact growth and budding.

Breaking habit.-Vigorous with no wild growth tendenciesi Size.-Of average finished product grown from the standard #7 liner of Yoder Brothers, Inc., Barberton, Ohio.

Budding ease.Excellent under wide range of environmental conditions.

Uniformity of budding.'Excellent.

Foliage.leafletssinglesize-length, 22 /z, av-

erage 2%"; width, 14%, average 1"-textureupper, glossy; lower, smoothrib and veinsslightly depressededgenearly smoothcolor new foliage, upper, light yellow green 7.5GY4/6, lower, light green near 7.5GY6/4; mature foliage upper, dark green 7.5GY3/4, lower, green 7.5 GY5/4 petiole short, hairy, light green 5-GY7/ 16.

Stems.ColorNew wood, green 5 GY6/ 6; mature wood, light brown, darker than 10YR5/4.

particularly as to novelty by its rapid growth and good size increase, its uniform and easy budding, its earliness in natural season flowering programs, its rose-pink color, its long-lastingness and its adaptibility to year round flowering programs under wide and varied conditions.

No references cited.

ROBERT E. BAGWILL, Primary Examiner

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