Dianthus plant named ‘Spiked Punch’

Abstract

A new and unique cultivar of perennial carnation or pinks, Dianthus plant named ‘Spiked Punch’ with numerous, large, fully-double, fragrant flowers, on well-branched stems having up to 6 flowers per stem. Petals are fuchsia pink with darker red-purple band and deeply incised margins and apices. Plant has vigorous compact habit with thin, finely textured, gray-green foliage. Dianthus ‘Spiked Punch’.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Dianthus plant named ‘Spiked Punch’ essentially as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The photographs of the new invention demonstrate the overall appearance of the plant including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Some slight variation of color may occur as a result of lighting quality, intensity, wavelength, direction or reflection.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the flowers and buds.

(3) FIG. 2 shows the habit of the plant in mid-season flowering.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

(4) The following detailed description of the new plant is based on observations of one-year-old plants in greenhouse-grown containers at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. as well as two-year-old plants in a full-sun trial garden location in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental watering, minimal addition of fertilizer and free of other plant growth regulators. All color usage is in accordance with the 2001 edition of The Royal Horticultural Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. Botanical classification: Dianthus hybrid. Parentage: ‘Starlette’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,438 as the female or seed parent and ‘Devon Flavia’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,903 as the male or pollen parent. Plant habit: Caespitose, herbaceous, evergreen perennial; stems and peduncles branched, erect to arching with weight, number and size of flowers; height of foliage about 8.5 cm and about 30.0 cm across; height in flower is about 16.5 cm. Root system: Fine, fibrous; color nearest RHS 155D. Vigor: Good, spring planted plugs finish in 3.8 liter pots in seven to eight weeks. Foliage: Leaf type.—Simple; linear; opposite; decussate; sessile; glabrous, glaucous on adaxial and abaxial; to microscopically serrulate; acute apex; base decurrent, adpressed along stem; no fragrance detected. Leaf dimensions.—To about 5.0 cm long and about 2.0 mm wide, average about 4.2 cm long and 2.0 mm wide. Leaf color in greenhouse.—Young expanding leaves adaxial between RHS N138B and RHS 122A, abaxial between RHS 138C and RHS 122A; mature adaxial between RHS N138A and RHS 122A, abaxial between RHS N138A and RHS 122A. Leaf color in trial garden.—Young and mature leaves adaxial between RHS 189A and RHS 189B, abaxial nearest RHS 189B. Venation.—Not pronounced; obscurely pinnate, coloration same as that of leaf. Stems: Beginning erect and becoming arching with development of flowers; terete, glabrous, glaucous, branching at alternate nodes; about 100 per plant. Stem size.—About 8.5 cm long and about 3.0 mm wide at base. Stem color.—Nearest RHS N138C. Branching.—Numerous; alternate from upper and lower leaf axils; about 12 per main stem and about 200 per plant; branch length average about 6.5 cm at time of initial flowering. Nodes.—About 17 per stem; about 3.0 mm across; color nearest RHS N187D. Internodes.—Average about 1.1 cm apart depending on growing temperature, shorter in cooler conditions. Inflorescence: Type.—Terminal, cymose; salverform; actinomophic; completely double. Attitude.—Upright to slightly arching. Dimension.—About 4.5 cm across and extending about 32.0 mm above calyx tube base. Flowers per stem.—Typically four to six. Pedicel.—Glaucous, glabrous, terete. Pedicel size.—Terminal flower about 20.0 mm long and about 2.0 mm diameter; other flowers average about 15.0 mm long and 1.5 mm diameter. Pedicel color.—Nearest RHS 189B. Flower bud one day prior to opening.—Glaucous, glabrous, ellipsoid with rounded apex and rounded base. Flower bud size.—One day prior to opening — about 2.8 cm long and about 1.3 cm wide. Flower bud color.—With petals exposed and still tight — petals nearest RHS 71B at apex and between sepal teeth nearest RHS 155D. Flower period.—Beginning late spring and repeating in early fall; effective about four weeks per flowering season. Flower fragrance.—Light, sweet spicy, clove-like. Flower lasting quality.—About ten days on or cut from plant. Petals.—Glabrous; about 50 per flower, with as many as eight petals split in the distal portion of the claw and the limb; consisting of a rounded blade or limb and a claw, outer petals with broader and more rounded limb; limb obovate with long tapered claw apex with coarse dentations 5.0 mm deep; limb bent slightly outwardly in distal 16.0 mm; about 1.0 mm across; persistent. Petal color greenhouse grown.—Adaxial claw base nearest RHS 145D, mid-claw nearest RHS 145B, distal claw nearest RHS N78C, limb base (dark band) between RHS N79B and RHS N79C; abaxial claw base nearest RHS 150D, mid-claw nearest RHS 145B, distal claw nearest RHS 77D, limb nearest RHS 78C. Petal color outdoor grown.—Adaxial claw nearest RHS 145D, mid-claw nearest RHS 145B, distal claw nearest N78C, limb base nearest blend of RHS 71A and RHS N79A; abaxial claw base nearest RHS 145C, mid-claw nearest RHS 145B, distal claw nearest RHS 77D, limb between RHS 71B and RHS 71C. Petal dimension.—Size to about 32.0 mm long and 20.0 mm across at widest part of limb, average about 30.0 mm long and about 15.0 mm wide; claw portion average about 15.0 mm long and about 1.0 mm at base; limb portion average about 15.0 mm long and 15.0 mm wide. Androecium.—Not produced or up to two rudimentary; fused basal phalange. Filament: average total size 9.0 mm long and 0.3 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 155D. Anther: absent or rudimentary; flattened ellipsoid; to 0.5 mm long and 0.4 mm across; color nearest RHS 158A. Pollen, not observed. Gynoecium.—Single, split. Style: erect then curling 360 degrees in distal 3.0 mm; terete. Pistil: glabrous abaxial surface and puberulent adaxial surface; irregularly curled; average about 20.0 mm long and 0.6 mm diameter; color abaxial basal one-half whiter than RHS 155D, abaxial distal one-half and adaxial nearest RHS 79B. Stigma: puberulent; about 0.5 mm long and 0.5 mm wide; color nearest RHS 79A. Ovary: superior; ellipsoid-shaped; about 7.0 mm long and 3.5 mm wide; color distally nearest RHS 150C and proximally nearest RHS 150D. Calyx.—Glabrous, glaucous; margins entire; form; five-toothed corolla tube fused in proximal 1.0 cm; individually about 1.7 cm long and about 0.6 cm across; campanulate to about 17.0 mm long and about 11.0 mm in diameter. Calyx color.—Abaxial nearest RHS 138B with heavy blushing of nearest RHS 187A toward apex; adaxial nearest RHS 138B. Peduncle.—Glabrous, glaucous, terete, about 6.5 cm long and about 2.5 mm diameter at base. Peduncle color.—Nearest RHS N138C. Pedicel.—Of main flower about 1.8 cm long and 1.0 mm diameter. Pedicel color.—Nearest RHS N138C. Bracts.—Two pair, opposite, glaucous, glabrous; sessile margin entire, broadly obtuse to deltoid with broadly acute apex; outer pair about 10.0 mm long and about 3.0 mm wide, inner pair about 7.0 mm long and 4.0 mm wide. Bract color.—Each pair identical, abaxial and adaxial center nearest RHS 137A and margins nearest RHS 145C to slightly translucent, abaxial tinted with RHS 187C. Fruit: Capsule; ovoid to cylindrical; opening by 4 teeth; about 3.5 mm long and 2.0 mm diameter; color between RHS 164B and RHS 165C when dried. Seed: Not observed. Disease resistance: The new plant is resistance to center die out from fungus or high temperatures. The plant grows best with adequate moisture and well-drained soil, but is able to tolerate some drought once established. Hardiness at least from USDA zone 4 through zone 9.