<i>Coleus </i>plant named ‘UF17-109-9’

Abstract

‘UF17-109-9’ is a new Coleus plant, selected because it has a highly desirable combination of traits. It has intense pink, maroon, and lime green color patterns that are distinct and consistent for all leaves of the plant. The novel leaves have superior color stability in both sun and shade conditions, and it has a spreading and compact form and mounded habit. The leaf shape of ‘UF17-109-9’ is highly elongated compared to most Coleus, and the leaf shape is extremely uniform across the plant throughout development. It has excellent lateral branching, thus providing ample vegetative propagules for producers. Because of its uniformity through all stages of production and consistent landscape performance, it has long season performance as an annual plant in the landscape until the first signs of frost in late Fall.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Coleus scutellarioides plant named ‘UF17-109-9’ as shown and described herein.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The accompanying photographs (as shown in FIGS. 1-3) illustrate the overall appearance of the new Coleus cultivar ‘UF17-109-9’. These photographs show the colors as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. Colors shown in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Coleus cultivar. FIGS. 2 and 3 were taken from plants grown nine (9) weeks from unrooted cuttings in September-November 2020 in a glass-covered greenhouse in Gainesville, Fla.

(2) FIG. 1 shows the pedigree of the claimed plant;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the growth habit, form, and foliage of the claimed plant; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a close-up of the foliage of the claimed plant.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CULTIVAR

(5) The following detailed description sets forth the distinctive characteristics of the new Coleus cultivar ‘UF17-109-9’. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S.) Colour Chart, 2007 (5.sup.th Edition).

DESCRIPTION OF GROWING CONDITIONS

(6) The detailed description was obtained using nine-week-old plants grown from unrooted cuttings in September-November 2020 in a glass-covered greenhouse in Gainesville, Fla. The plants were propagated in mist for ten (10) days after cuttings were stuck, then grown in one-gallon pots for approximately seven and a half additional weeks.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(7) Botanical classification: Family.—Lamiaceae. Botanical name.—Coleus scutellarioides. Common name.—Coleus. Cultivar.—‘UF17-109-9’. Parentage: Female or seed parent.—‘UF16-91-49’. Male or pollen parent.—Unknown. Propagation: Type cuttings.—Vegetative meristems having at least one node. Time to initiate roots.—3-4 days. Time to produce a rooted cutting.—7-10 days. Root description: Callus forms in 2-3 days, roots initiate in 3-4 days, and roots become a highly branched cutting in 7-10 days. Rooting habit.—Fibrous. Plant description: Plant form.—Spreading, compact. Growth habit.—Mounded, well-branched. Plant height (from top of soil).—15-20 cm. Plant width (horizontal plant diameter).—30-35 cm. Branches.—Quantity per plant: 5-6. Branch color: RHS 141C (medium green). Texture: Smooth. Pubescence: Not present. Branch diameter: 0.5-0.6 cm at the base of an 8-cm-long branch. Branch length: 8-10 cm. Internode length: 0.6-0.7 cm. Anthocyanin: Not present. Stem description: Square-shaped stem, 0.8 cm in diameter at the soil line. Foliage description: Quantity of leaves per branch.—10-12. Arrangement: Opposite. Fragrance.—Not fragrant. Shape.—Ovate. Length.—10-12 cm. Width.—5-6 cm. Apex.—Narrowly acute. Base.—Attenuate. Margin.—Lobed. Leaf texture (both surfaces).—Smooth. Pubescence (both surfaces).—Not present. Venation color.—Upper surface: RHS 187A (dark red). Lower surface: RHS 193A (grey green). Venation pattern.—Upper surface: Reticulate. Lower surface: Reticulate. Color, immature leaf.—Upper surface: Base: RHS N77A (purple). Center: RHS 74A (red purple). Margin: RHS 143A (medium green). Lower surface: Base: RHS 193D (light grey green). Margin: RHS 143A (medium green). Color, mature leaf.—Upper surface: Base: RHS N77A (purple). Center: RHS 74A (red purple). Transition zone: RHS 187A (dark red). Margin: RHS 144A (medium yellow green). Lower surface: Base: RHS 193D (light grey green). Transition zone: RHS 193A (grey green). Margin: RHS 143A (medium green). Petiole length.—6-7 cm. Petiole diameter.—0.2-0.3 cm. Petiole color.—RHS 145A (medium yellow green). Petiole texture.—Smooth, no pubescence. Flowers and seeds: Flowers and seeds have not been observed. Fruit/seed set: Fruit/seed not observed. Disease and insect resistance: Disease and insect resistance is typical of the species, thus no claims are made of any superior disease or insect resistance with this cultivar. The most common insect pests observed on this plant in Gainesville, Fla. have been long-tailed or citrus mealybugs (Pseudococcus sp.), which occur on older stock plant material held in the greenhouse for over 3-4 months. Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (Bunyaviridae) has also been observed in plants confined in greenhouses with mixed crops (peppers) infected with Western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis). The most common pathogen of this species in the U.S. is downy mildew (Perononspora lamii). This pathogen has been observed in stock materials grown closely together in cooler growing seasons.

COMPARISON WITH KNOWN CULTIVARS

(8) Plants of the new Coleus cultivar ‘UF17-109-9’ can be compared to those of ‘UF16-64-1’ (commercial name Mainstreet Ruby Road, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,584). The color of the adaxial surface of mature leaves of ‘UF17-109-9’ at the base is RHS N77A (purple) at RHS 74A (red purple) in the center. From the leaf center, reticulate veins colored RHS 187A (dark red) extend out to the leaf margin, which is predominant and colored RHS 144A (medium yellow green). In contrast, on the adaxial surface of mature leaves of ‘UF16-64-1’, foliage color transitions from RHS 67A (red purple) in the center of the leaf to RHS N79A (purple) in the mid-center, with leaf margins colored RHS 138A (medium green).