USPP36949P2 - Xerochrysum plant named ‘Bonxer 1873’ - Google Patents

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Xerochrysum plant named ‘Bonxer 1873’, characterized by its upright and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; semi-double type inflorescences with bright yellow-colored involucral bracts; and strong and relatively short peduncles that hold the inflorescences above and beyond the foliar plane.

Description

Botanical Designation: Xerochrysum bracteatum.

Cultivar Denomination: ‘Bonxer 1873’.

CROSS REFERENCED TO CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS

A Japanese Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Applicant/Assignee of the instant application, Bonza Botanicals Pty., Ltd. of Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia on Jul. 26, 2024, application number 37541. Foreign priority is not claimed to this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Xerochrysum plant, botanically known as Xerochrysum bracteatum, commonly known as Strawflower, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bonxer 1873’.

The new Xerochrysum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create and develop new upright Xerochrysum cultivars with numerous large inflorescences.

The new Xerochrysum plant originated from a cross-pollination by the Inventor in January, 2018 of a proprietary selection of Xerochrysum bracteatum identified as code number 16-75, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unidentified proprietary selection of Xerochrysum bracteatum, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Xerochrysum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia on Dec. 7, 2018.

Asexual reproduction of the new Xerochrysum plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since December, 2018 has shown that the unique features of this new Xerochrysum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Xerochrysum have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental and cultural conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bonxer 1873’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bonxer 1873’ as a new and distinct Xerochrysum plant:

• • 1. Upright and mounding plant habit.
  • 2. Vigorous growth habit.
  • 3. Freely flowering habit.
  • 4. Semi-double type inflorescences with bright yellow-colored involucral bracts.
  • 5. Strong and relatively short peduncles that hold the inflorescences above and beyond the foliar plane.

In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Xerochrysum differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in involucral bract color as inflorescences of plants of the new Xerochrysum have bright yellow-colored involucral bracts whereas inflorescences of plants of the female parent selection have white-colored involucral bracts.

In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Xerochrysum differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in involucral bract color as inflorescences of plants of the new Xerochrysum have bright yellow-colored involucral bracts whereas inflorescences of plants of the male parent selection have pink-colored involucral bracts.

Plants of the new Xerochrysum can be compared to plants of the Bracteantha bracteata ‘Bonxero 148’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,398. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Xerochrysum differ primarily from plants of ‘Bonxero 148’ in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Xerochrysum are shorter and narrower than plants of ‘Bonxero 148’.
  • 2. Leaves of plants of the new Xerochrysum are held horizontally whereas leaves of plants of ‘Bonxero 148’ are more upright.
  • 3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Xerochrysum are more concave than and not as flat as inflorescences of plants of ‘Bonxero 148’.
  • 4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Xerochrysum are larger than inflorescences of plants of ‘Bonxero 148’.
  • 5. Inflorescences of plants of the new Xerochrysum have more involucral bracts than inflorescences of plants of ‘Bonxero 148’.
  • 6. Involucral bracts of plants of the new Xerochrysum are longer than involucral bracts of plants of ‘Bonxero 148’.
  • 7. The disc diameter of inflorescences of plants of the new Xerochrysum is larger than the disc diameter of inflorescences of plants of ‘Bonxero 148’.
  • 8. Peduncles of plants of the new Xerochrysum are shorter and thicker than peduncles of plants of ‘Bonxero 148’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Xerochrysum plant. These photographs show 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 botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Xerochrysum plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1 ) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonxer 1873’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2 ) is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Bonxer 1873’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the early summer in 24-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Xerochrysum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night averaged 13° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were four months old when the photographs were taken and five months old when the detailed description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

• Botanical vlassification:
  • • Xerochrysum bracteatum ‘Bonxer 1873’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Xerochrysum bracteatum identified as code number 16-75, not patented. Male, or pollen, parent.—An unidentified proprietary selection of Xerochrysum bracteatum, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven days at temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.
    • Time to initiate roots, winter.—About ten days at temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About three weeks at temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About four weeks at temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.
    • Root description.—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.
    • Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density.
• Plant description:

Plant form and growth habit.—Upright and mounding plant habit with inflorescences held above the foliage on strong peduncles; vigorous growth habit.

• • • Plant height.—About 28 cm.
    • Plant diameter or spread.—About 41.5 cm.
    • Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching habit with about three primary lateral branches with numerous secondary lateral branches developing per plant; pinching will enhance branching potential. Length: About 18.9 cm. Diameter: About 8.2 mm. Internode length: About 1.3 cm. Aspect: Mostly upright to slightly outwardly. Strength: Strong. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Close to 145A.
    • Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple; sessile. Length: About 10.9 cm. Width: About 2.9 cm. Shape: Linear. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire; not undulate to slightly undulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Rough, smooth to slightly pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate; reticulate. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation, close to 138B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A; venation, close to 138C.
    • Inflorescence description.—Appearance: Terminal semi-double type inflorescence form with numerous ovate-shaped involucral bracts; inflorescences concave in cross-section; involucral bracts and disc florets developing acropetally on a capitulum; inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane on strong peduncles; inflorescences face mostly upright. Flowering habit: Freely flowering habit; about 19 inflorescence buds and inflorescences per plant. Fragrance: None detected. Flowering season: In the garden in Japan, plants flower continuously from the spring until the late autumn. Post-production longevity: Inflorescences maintain good substance for about seven to ten days on the plant; inflorescences persistent.
    • Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 2.1 cm. Shape: Ovoid with acute apex. Color: Distally, close to 3B and proximally, close to 3C.
    • Inflorescence size.—Diameter: Large, about 9.2 cm. Depth (height): About 4.1 cm. Disc diameter: About 4.4 cm. Disc height: About 1.7 cm.
    • Receptacles.—Diameter: About 5.2 cm. Height: About 1.2 cm. Color: Close to 157D.
    • Involucral bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence and arrangement: About 658 arranged in numerous whorls; bracts imbricate. Length: About 2.4 cm. Width: About 7 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; papery; durable. Orientation: Initially upright becoming more outwardly with development. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 3B; color does not change with subsequent development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 3C; color does not change with subsequent development.
    • Disc florets.—Quantity per inflorescence and arrangement: About 1,203 disc florets arranged spirally in the center of the receptacle in numerous whorls. Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter, distally: About 2 mm. Diameter, proximally: About 1 mm. Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed. Texture, inner and outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Apex: Close to 17A. Mid-section: Close to 154B. Base: Close to 145D.
    • Peduncles.—Length: About 5.3 cm. Diameter: About 4.3 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Rough, not pubescent. Color: Close to 145A.
    • Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per disc floret: About five. Filament length: About 1.5 mm. Filament color: Close to 157D. Anther size: About 1 mm by 2 mm. Anther shape: Linear. Anther color: Close to 17C. Pollen color: Close to 17B. Gynoecium: Quantity per disc floret: One. Pistil length: About 10.4 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 17B. Style color: Close to 157D. Ovary color: Close to 155A, translucent.
    • Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit production has not been observed on plants of the new Xerochrysum.
• Pathogen & pest resistance:
  • • To date, plants of the new Xerochrysum have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Xerochrysum plants.
• Temperature tolerance:
  • • Plants of the new Xerochrysum have been observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to about 35° C.

Claims (1)

It it claimed:

1. A new and distinct Xerochrysum plant named ‘Bonxer 1873’ as herein illustrated and described.

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