<i>Dianthus </i>plant named ‘WP19 VAL01’

Abstract

A new cultivar of Dianthus plant named ‘WP19 VAL01’ that is characterized by a compact mounding habit, semi-double yellow flowers, blooming from May through October, with a medium, clove-like fragrance, glaucous blue-green foliage, suitable for use as a flowering plant in pots and containers as well as for use as a cut flower and in bouquets, is disclosed.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Dianthus Plant Named ‘WP19 VAL01’ as described and illustrated herein.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

(1) The accompanying color photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Dianthus variety ‘WP19 VAL01’ showing colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the actual colors of the new variety ‘WP19 VAL01’.

(2) FIG. 1 depicts an entire flowering plant of ‘WP19 VAL01’.

(3) FIG. 2 depicts a close-up view of the flower of ‘WP19 VAL01’.

(4) Photographs were taken in May 2020 from a 9 months old plant which has been grown in an unheated greenhouse in Dawlish, United Kingdom in a 3-liter container. No chemicals were used to treat the plants. All photographs were made using conventional techniques and although colors may appear different from actual colors due to light reflectance they are as accurate as possible by conventional photography.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

(5) The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar ‘WP19 VAL01’. Data was collected from plants grown in 3-liter containers under an unheated glasshouse in Dawlish, United Kingdom. The color determinations are in accordance with the sixth edition (2015) of The Royal Horticultural Society Color Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. No chemicals were used to treat the plants. Growing conditions are typical to other Dianthus. Botanical classification: Dianthus. Variety.—‘WP19 VAL01’. Species.—X allwoodii. Common names.—Hybrid Dianthus, Garden Pink. Commercial classification.—Hardy perennial. Use.—Ornamental plant for pots and containers. Parentage: ‘WP19 VAL01’ is a hybrid plant that resulted from the controlled cross pollination between two Dianthus x allwoodii plants. Female parent plant.—‘VAL 09.01’ experimental Dianthus plant (unpatented). Male parent plant.—‘VAL 13.01’ experimental Dianthus plant (unpatented). Plant description: Bloom period.—May to October. Plant habit.—Dense, compact mounding habit. Plant height.—35 cm in overall height, including flower canopy. Plant width.—23 cm in width. Plant hardiness.—Hardy to minus 15° Centigrade. Type.—Perennial. Root system.—Fibrous. Propagation.—Propagation is accomplished using shoot cuttings. Cultural requirements.—Plant in full sun, well-drained and moderately fertile soil and keep well fertilized and watered. Time required to produce a rooted cutting.—5 weeks are needed to produce a rooted cutting. Temperature recommended for cuttings to produce roots.—The air temperature needed is a minimum of 15° Centigrade air temperature and base heat of 21° Centigrade. Crop time.—6 to 9 months is needed to produce a finished plant in bud and flower in a 3-litre container size from a well-rooted cutting. Stem: Shape.—Cylindrical, solid. Dimensions.—12 cm in length, 9 mm diameter. Surface.—Glabrous and glaucous. Color.—145B, 145C and 145D (in the sheathing zone). Branching.—Numerous shoots from the axils of the lower leaves. Internode length.—Initially 5 mm to 7 mm increasing to 4 cm-6 cm towards apex. Leaf: Type.—Evergreen. Dimensions.—10 cm in length, 4 mm in width. Color adaxial surface.—N189B and N189C. Color abaxial surface.—N189B and N189C. Shape.—Linear. Curvature.—Moderately recurved (older basal foliage only). Division.—Simple. Apex.—Acute. Base.—Decurrent. Venation.—Absent on the adaxial surface and only one central vein visible on the abaxial surface. Margins.—Entire. Attachment.—Sheathing. Arrangement.—Opposite and spiraling up stem. Surfaces (adaxial and abaxial).—Strongly glaucous. Fragrance.—Absent. Flowers: Inflorescence.—Simple cyme. Type.—Semi-double, polypetalous. Number.—3 to 6 per stem. Position.—When fully developed, flowers are borne far above the dense foliage mound. Arrangement.—Fully developed terminal flowers borne singly and in clusters of 2-3 flowers on some lateral branches. Dimensions (including calyx).—42 to 44 mm in length and 40 to 44 mm in diameter. Shape.—Circular. Lastingness.—10 days at 20° Celsius on the plant; 8 to 10 days off the plant. Fragrance.—Medium, clove-like. Flowering period.—May to October. Peduncle: Shape.—Cylindrical, solid. Dimensions.—23 cm to 27 cm in length, 3 to 4 mm in diameter. Surface.—Glabrous, waxy. Strength.—Strong, rigid. Color.—189B. Bud: Shape.—Cylindrical, without extrusion of styles. Color.—138A to 138B on apical half and 144B to 144C on basal half (below the bracts). Anthocyanin.—Absent. Dimensions.—23 mm in length and 10 mm in width. Petals: Corolla shape, profile.—Flat convex. Corolla dimensions.—20 to 24 mm in length and 40 to 44 mm in diameter. Petal arrangement.—Persistent, apopetalous and overlapping. Margin.—Crenate-dentate. Indentations.—Medium in number, irregular, up to 2 mm deep. Texture.—Soft. Type.—Semi-double. Number of petals.—15 to 20. Dimensions.—38 mm in length, 25 mm in width. Petal shape.—Fan shape. Petal surface.—Glabrous. Petal apex.—Fan shaped, crenate-dentate. Petal base.—Strap shaped, tapering towards base. Color pattern.—Self-yellow with occasional pink stripes or flecks, 56A. Macules.—Absent. Petal color (adaxial surface).—Ground color of blade: 2C and 3C. Color of middle of strap: 4D. Color of base of strap: 145D. Petal color (abaxial surface).—Ground color of blade: 1D. Color of middle of strap: 4D. Color of base of strap: 145C. Petal color when emerging from the bud occasionally observed.—23D. Calyx: Dimensions.—23 mm in length and 12 mm in width. Shape.—Cylindrical and obovate. Sepals.—5, fused up to 5 mm below the apex. Sepal dimensions.—24 mm in length and 7 mm in width. Apex.—Acute. Base.—Truncate. Color of sepals, outer surface.—138A to 138B on apical half and 144B to 144C on basal half (below the bracts). Color of sepals, inner surface.—139D. Anthocyanin.—Absent. Splitting.—Not observed. Epicalyx: Number of bracts.—1 pair of 2. Bracts shape, position.—Acuminate, adpressed. Bracts dimensions.—12 mm in length and 9 mm in width. Bracts color.—N138A, N138B, N138C and 144B, 144C, 144D are all present. Anthocyanin.—Absent. Number of bracteoles.—1 pair of 2. Bracteoles shape, position.—Acuminate, adpressed Bracteoles dimensions.—14 mm in length and 12 mm in width. Bracteoles color.—N138A, N138B, N138C and 144B, 144C, 144D are all present. Bracteoles anthocyanin.—Absent. Reproductive organs: Stamen number.—10 to 15 and 0 to 5 petaloid stamen. Stamen dimensions.—25 mm length and 0.5 mm diameter. Color of filaments.—NN155B. Anther number.—1 per stamen, 10 to 15. Anther dimensions.—2 mm length and 1 mm in diameter, often disformed. Color of anthers.—155A (when fresh anthers). Anther attachment.—Dorsifixed. Pollen.—Absent. Style number.—2 Style shoulder.—Absent. Color of style.—NN155B. Style and stigma dimensions.—25 mm to 30 mm in length and 1 mm in width. Stigma number.—One on each style. Stigma color.—NN155B. Stigma dimensions.—12 to 15 mm long, fimbriated zone along the top of the style. Ovary position.—Superior. Ovary dimensions.—11 mm in length and 7 mm in diameter. Ovary shape.—Rhombic. Ovary surface and texture.—Smooth and slightly ribbed. Ovary color.—144A at the uppermost surface, becoming paler 149D at the lowest surface. Seed: Not observed. Diseases and pests: Susceptible to known Dianthus pests and disease but no other susceptibilities to pests or disease are known.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL LINE AND KNOWN VARIETY

(6) ‘WP19 VAL01’ is distinguishable from the male parent as follows. The flower color of ‘VAL 13.01’ is bright orange with white stripes and flowering height is much higher.

(7) ‘WP19 VAL01’ is distinguishable from the female parent as follows. The female parent ‘VAL 09.01’ bears semi-double salmon flowers with white flecks. The vegetative part of ‘VAL 09.01’ is also more open than ‘WP19 VAL01’.

(8) The variety of Dianthus considered to most closely resemble ‘WP19 VAL01’ is Dianthus Plant Named ‘Devon Cream’ (unpatented). Both ‘Devon Cream’ and ‘WP19 VAL01’ are cold-hardy varieties with similar glaucous blue green foliage and with flower colors in the cream-yellow range. In comparison, the flower color of ‘Devon Cream’ is cream-yellow with pale pink stripes, whereas the flower color of ‘WP19 VAL01’ is distinctly self-yellow. In addition, whereas the plant habit of ‘WP19 VAL01’ is tight and compact, the plant habit of ‘Devon Cream’ is loose and open, and plants of ‘Devon Cream’ bear much taller flower stems.