Oregano plant named 'Eli'

Abstract

A new and distinct Origanum vulgare cultivar named ‘Eli’ is disclosed, which is characterized by dark green leaves, highly aromatic properties, high carvacrol with white flowers that appear and flower late in the season and about 14 weeks to maturity.

Claims

1. A new and distinct variety of Origanum vulgare plant as illustrated and described.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a representative ‘Eli’ plant.

[0017] FIG. 2 shows a representative chromatogram of the essential oil from oregano ‘Eli’ (also referred to as OS37), illustrating the carvacrol peak.

[0018] FIG. 3 shows a close-up of representative leaves.

[0019] FIG. 4 shows a close-up of representative flowers.

[0020] FIG. 5 shows a close-up of representative inflorescense.

[0021] The color photograph shows typical specimens of ‘Eli’ and depict the color as nearly true as is reasonably possible to make the same in a color illustration of this character. It should be noted that colors may vary, for example due to lighting conditions at the time the photograph is taken. Therefore, color characteristics of this new variety should be determined with reference to the observations described herein, rather than from the photograph alone.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following detailed description of the ‘Eli’ variety is provided. The ‘Eli’ plants have been observed growing in a cultivated area in Coolidge, Ariz. and New Brunswick, N.J. The observed oregano plants were one year old and growing in Pittstown, N.J. The new variety has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. Certain characteristics of this variety, such as growth and color, may change with changing environmental conditions (e.g., light, temperature, moisture, nutrient availability, or other factors). The color descriptions are all based on the Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5.sup.th edition, 2007.

Scientific Name: Origanum vulgare
Comparison to other varieties:

[0023] Of the six new lines evaluated, the lines did not differ significantly in insect and disease damage, and had green or dark green leaves, and the lines that developed flowers had white flowers. However, the Italian oregano line developed purple flowers. ‘Eli’ plants were significantly shorter than the Italian oregano, the tallest line in the field. The Greek oreganos were not statistically different in leaf length, and the Italian oregano had significantly larger leaves than the Greek oreganos. The essential oil of ‘Eli’ had the highest carvacrol concentration.

[0024] Chemical profiling of the oregano essential oil via GC/MS showed that the Greek oreganos' essential oil profiles were dominated by carvacrol production (˜70% of the essential oil), while the Italian oregano produced much lower concentrations. The Italian oregano plants were richer in other aroma volatiles, such as thujene, germacrene, spathulenol, and caryophyllene oxide, which were not present in the Greek oreganos. The results of a Folin-Ciocalteu assay showed that the ‘Eli’ plants had medicinally relevant concentrations of phenols within the leaves of the plants. The total phenolic content for the O. vulgare lines was much higher than previously reported and within the range of other commonly consumed foods and reported Lamiaceae species (Wojdylo et al., 2007; Wu et al., 2004). These phenols contribute to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity reported within this family (Shen et al., 2010). “Eli’ produces a traditional aroma with increased total phenols compared with other O. vulgare commercial alternatives.

[0025] The commercial oreganos exhibited substantial variation in biomass, carvacrol concentration, and carvacrol yields; thus, uniform production from these lines was more challenging. ‘Eli’ produces large amounts of carvacrol as well and produces white flowers. “Eli’ is an excellent source of oregano essential oil properties, carvacrol, and their medicinally bioactive polyphenols, while still providing aesthetically attractive edible oreganos for landscape and home gardens. [0026] Plant: [0027] Form.—Spreading. [0028] Habit.—Upright. [0029] Height (from the soil).—14.7 cm-21.5 cm. [0030] Width (plant diameter).—47.9 cm-65.1 cm. [0031] Stalk.—0.6 cm. [0032] Stem: [0033] Thickness.—1.1 mm. [0034] Distribution of leaves on the stem.—From base of plant emerging from soil to the infloresence and/or growing tip. [0035] Color.—brown RHS 173 and 174A. [0036] Branches: [0037] Description of the lateral branches.—Absent. [0038] Branching habit.—Absent. [0039] Number of primary branches.—30-50. [0040] Number of lateral branches per primary branch.—0. [0041] Branch length.—20-40 cm; avg 30 cm range. [0042] Primary branch diameter.—Stem diameter 1.1 mm. [0043] Internode length.—9 cm between internode. [0044] Degree of lateral branches from the basil branches.—Absent. [0045] Texture of the branches (upper and lower sides).—Smooth. [0046] Luster of the branches (upper and lower sides). Absent. [0047] Propagation: [0048] Type.—Cuttings (4-node). [0049] Time to initiate roots.—Any time of year, but better results are observed prior to flowering and during active growth. [0050] Time to produce a rooted cutting.—One week to 2 weeks under misthouse conditions. [0051] Root habit.—Fibrous. [0052] Root description.—White with many small rootlets and medium rooting depth. [0053] Leaves: [0054] Arrangement.—Opposite. [0055] Shape.—Ovate. [0056] Length.—1.7 cm -2.1 cm. [0057] Width.—1.2 cm-1.6 cm. [0058] Apex.—Acute. [0059] Margin.—Entire. [0060] Prominence of leaf veins on the lower side of leaves.—Present. [0061] Leaf variegation.—Absent. [0062] Leaf blistering.—Absent. [0063] Color pattern of the leaf.—Dark Green. [0064] Leaf blade profile in the cross-section.—Standard central vein. [0065] Leaf base shape.—Rounded. [0066] Texture of the leaves (upper and lower sides).—Smooth. [0067] Luster of the leaves (upper and lower sides).—Absent. [0068] Upper leaf color.—green RHS 130C, 133D and 135D. [0069] Lower leaf color.—purple RHS 58C, N78A and N78B. [0070] Upper vein color.—brown RHS 164C and 178A. [0071] Lower vein color.—purple RHS 77A. [0072] Anthocyanin color.—purple (Mix of RHS 58C, N78A and N78B). [0073] Productivity: [0074] Dry weight.—84.1 g/plant -104.1 g/plant. [0075] Essential oil.—1.15 g/plant -2.09 g/plant. [0076] Carvacrol.—72.09% -73.45% essential oil; 0.83 g/plant -1.53 g/plant. [0077] Gallic acid.—2.17 mg/g -2.77 mg/g. [0078] Flowers and seeds: White flowers toward the end of the growing season were observed. [0079] Disease and insect resistance: No notable insect or disease damage was observed in the oregano varieties grown under the conditions disclosed herein. However, rust has been observed on the leaves of oregano plants grown under other conditions.

Characteristics of the Oregano Plants

[0080] The vegetative clones disclosed herein were evaluated under greenhouse conditions, where 142 single plant selections (SPS) exhibiting the desired phenotypic characteristics, including height and dry weight, were maintained. From the 142 SPS, each were harvested at time of initial flowering and then dried at 37° C. Each of the dried SPS samples (leaves and flower tops) were then hydrodistilled, and the essential oil yield calculated based upon dried weight (Reichert et al., 2016). The results indicate that 72 plants accumulated the highest amounts of essential oil. The essential oil composition was then analyzed using GC/MS analysis (Reichert et al., ‘CR9’: A New Highly Aromatic Catnip Nepeta cataria L. Cultivar Rich in Z, E-Nepetalactone. HortScience. 51:588-591, 2016). Chemically profiling the essential oils identified three lines of interest, OS10 (‘Pierre’), OS14, and OS37 (‘Eli’), which showed significantly higher levels of carvacrol. In three subsequent years (2010, 2011, and 2012), each of these three lines were clonally evaluated in randomized complete block design field trials in Pittstown, N.J. (longitude: 40.557762, latitude: -74.960574) to ensure minimal environmental influence on the variation in the production of essential oil and carvacrol yields.

[0081] The plants were evaluated (Tables 1 and 2) and harvested on the same day for the entire study, 14 weeks after transplantation, at which time the entire plot was harvested and all plants within each plot were bulked together and dried using a walk-in forced-air commercial Powell Tobacco dryer, converted for drying herbs and botanicals at 37° C.

[0082] The morphological characteristics that were recorded include plant height, plant width, leaf length, leaf width, uniformity, insect and disease damage, leaf color, flower color, flowering time, and flowering percent. Plant height was measured from the soil level to the flowers, down the center of the plant. Plant width was determined by measuring the diameter of the plant. Leaf length was the measurement from the tip of the leaf to the beginning of the petiole on the side that connects to the leaf. The width of the leaf was measured at the basal portion of the leaf at the largest diameter. The leaf and flower color were determined by visually inspecting the plant. Uniformity was determined by visually inspecting the plot and giving them a rating on a scale of 1-5, 5 signifying that the population is uniform. Insect and disease damage were assessed by visually inspecting the plot for damage and rating the damage on a scale of 1-5, 5 signifying high amounts of damage. Flowering time was determined by visually identifying and taking the earliest flowering oregano line, defining that as an early flowering line and compared all other oregano lines to it bi-weekly. Flowering percent was determined by identifying the number of plants within a plot that were flowering at the time of harvest. Dry weight was recorded after the plant moisture was removed using an on-site dryer. Essential oil yield was then determined by hydro-distilling the above ground biomass of the plant. A 2 L round bottom flask was used for the distilling 30 g of dry plant matter, and a Clevenger-type trap was used to collect the essential oil. Yield was calculated as a percent of dry mass (gram of essential oil/30 g above ground biomass). Quantification of the compounds within the essential oils was performed by gas chromatography, and mass spectrometry was used for supplemental identification of the compounds. The total phenol concentration was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay; the phenol concentration is expressed as gallic acid equivalents (GAE).

[0083] Tables 1 and 2: Morphological and essential oil characteristics of the oregano ‘Eli’ compared to commercial oregano varieties, 2016.sup.z.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Flower- Uni- I/D Leaf Flower ing Flower formity Damage Height Line Color Color Time % (1-5) (1-5) (cm) Pierre Dark N/A Never  0% ± 5.0 ± 1.0 ± 15.8 ± Green  0 C.sup.Y 0.0 A 0.0 A  1.7 CD Eli Green White Late 100% ± 4.1 ± 1.0 ± 18.1 ± 0 A 0.3 B 0.0 A 3.4 C OS14 Dark White Early 100% ± 3.4 ± 1.1 ± 17.8 ± Green 0 A 0.4 D 0.3 A 2.9 C OSI Light Purple Early  86% ± 3.3 ± 1.1 ± 24.5 ± Green 14 A  0.3 D 0.3 A 3.4 A OSP Green White Late  42% ± 3.8 ± 1.1 ± 20.8 ± 28 B  0.3 C 0.3 A 7.8 B OST Dark White Late  5% ± 4.8 ± 1.1 ± 14.0 ± Green 8C  0.3 A 0.3 A 4.1 D Plant Leaf Leaf Dry Width Length Width Weight Line (cm) (cm) (cm) (g)/Plant Pierre 69.2 ± 1.9 ± 1.6 ± 127.1 ±  4.9 A 0.2 B 0.2 A 5.5 A Eli 56.5 ± 1.9 ± 1.4 ± 94.1 ± 8.6 B 0.2 B  0.2 BC 10.0 BC OS14 39.0 ± 1.9 ± 1.3 ± 43.6 ± 5.6 C 0.2 B 0.2 C 5.8 D OSI 56.4 ± 2.3 ± 1.5 ± 114.4 ±  15.4 B  0.7 A  0.2 BC 17.9 AB OSP 63.5 ± 2.0 ± 1.4 ± 76.2 ±  27.3 AB 0.3 B  0.2 BC 20.2 C  OST 70.5 ± 1.9 ± 1.5 ± 115.1 ±  11.5A  0.1 B  0.2 AB 10.4 AB

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Essential Oil Carvacrol Carvacrol Gallic Acid Yield (g)/ Concen- yield Equivalents Line Plant tration (%) (g)/plant (mg/g) Pierre 2.01 ± 0.11 A 68.50 ± 0.61 C 1.37 ± 0.07 A 2.58 ± 0.32 AB Eli 1.62 ± 0.47 AB 72.77 ± 0.68 A 1.18 ± 0.35 AB 2.47 ± 0.3 BC OS14 0.79 ± 0.23 CD 71.76 ± 1.12 B 0.57 ± 0.15 BC 2.82 ± 0.15 A OSI 0.14 ± 0.01 D 6.37 ± 4.94 F <0.1 ± 0.01 C 2.89 ± 0.06 A OSP 0.95 ± 0.46 BC 61.50 ± 15.57 D 0.62 ± 0.37 B 2.37 ± 0.08 BC OST 0.92 ± 0.36 BC 60.98 ± 17.94 E 0.6 ± 0.4 B 2.20 ± 0.12 C .sup.Z‘Pierre’ = Origanum vulgare cultivar; ‘Eli’ = Origanum vulgare cultivar; OS14 = line; OSI = Franchi Sementi, Lawrence, KS; OSP = Park Seed Company, Hodges, SC; OST = Territorial Seed Company, Cottage Grove, OR. .sup.YValues within columns followed by the different letters are significantly different according to Duncan's test at P ≤ 0.05.

Essential Oil Identification and Measurement

[0084] Essential oil samples were analyzed by extracting 5 μL of pure hydrodistilled oils, which was distilled from 30 g of dry plant material, with 1.5 mL of MTBE (methyl-tert butyl ether). The samples were then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and centrifuged at 6 krpm. The supernatant was then transferred to a sampling vial and analyzed using GC/MS. All samples were separated using a Shimadzu Gas Chromatograph 2010 Plus on column SH-Rxi-5Sil MS heated from 35° C. with a hold of 4 min, to 250° C. with a hold of 1.25 min at 20° C./min. The injection volume for the essential oil samples was 1 μL, and the inlet temperature was 250° C. with a split of 300. A Shimadzu TQ8040 Triple-Q MS was used for compound identification with the ion source temperature set to 200° C., the interface temperature set to 250° C., the solvent cut time at 3.5 min, and the detector voltage set to 0.2 kV with a threshold of 1000. The samples were integrated using GCMS solution v4.3 © Shimadzu Corporation. Individual compound ID's were determined by comparing the results with current literature and screening against the NIST05.LIB, NISTO5s.LIB, W10N14.lib, and the W10N14R.lib mass spectral libraries with a >90% similarity search. An authenticated carvacrol standard was co-injected to confirm the identity of that peak in the chromatogram (see, e.g., a representative chromatogram of the essential oil from oregano varieties ‘Pierre’ and ‘Eli’, illustrating the carvacrol peak, in FIG. 2.

[0085] The total phenolic content of the plant was measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, also referred to as Folin's reagent, to quantitate gallic acid equivalents (Table 3). An extract was prepared by adding 25 mL of 60% methanol solution to ca. 50 mg of dried, ground oregano leaf material and then sonicating for 25 min. The extract was then transferred to a centrifuge tube and centrifuged for 3 minutes at 6 krpm, after which the supernatant was removed. The Folin's reagent was prepared by adding 2 mL of Folin's reagent to 20 mL of distilled water with a ratio of 1:10, Folin's reagent to distilled water. Once the solutions were prepared, a standard curve was generated by adding 25 ml of a 60% methanol solution to 9.2 mg of gallic acid and serially diluting to 1/512× of the original concentration. Thereafter, 40 μL of each dilution was added to 900 μL of Folin's reagent and allowed to sit for 5 min; 400 μL of the 15% sodium carbonate solution was then added, and the dilution sample was stored in the dark for 45 min, after which the absorbance was measured at 752 nm. Once the curve was generated, 900 μL of Folin's reagent was added to 40 μL of each oregano extract. The mixture was allowed to react for 5 minutes, at which time a 15% 400 μL of sodium carbonate solution was added. The sample tubes were then covered in aluminum foil and stored in the dark for 45 minutes. Thereafter, 200 μL of each sample was aliquoted into a 96-well plate, and the sample's absorbance was measured at 752 nm

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Composition of the aromatic essential oil constituents from the hydrodistilled oregano essential oils showing 11 essential oil constituents that represent >90% of the overall peak area detected in the six oregano essential oil genetic lines (‘Pierre’ (also referred to as OS10), OS14, ‘Eli’ (also referred to as OS37), OST, OSP, OSI), including the retention time and peak area percentages. ID Rt # Compound Name (min) Pierre.sup.Z OS14 Eli OST OSP OSI 1 α-Thujene 8.09 ND.sup.X ND ND ND ND 6.17 2 β-Myrcene 8.26 2.60 1.48 2.32 1.12 1.16 0.79 3 α-Terpinene 8.57 1.43 1.52 1.55 1.45 1.66 0.51 4 para-Cymene 8.65 9.75 7.35 8.89 9.14 10.22 10.49 5 γ-Terpinene 8.98 10.19 12.95 8.50 8.74 10.93 4.99 6 Thymol 10.84 ND ND ND 2.18 5.56 18.56 7 Carvacrol 10.94 68.50 71.76 72.71 71.94 65.38 6.37 8 (E)-Caryophyllene 11.92 2.35 0.33 1.23 1.16 0.93 12.59 9 Germacrene D 12.31 ND ND ND ND ND 18.43 10 Spathulenol.sup.y 12.92 ND ND ND ND ND 7.35 11 Caryophyllene oxide 12.97 ND ND ND ND ND 6.21 .sup.Z‘Pierre’ = Origanum vulgare cultivar; ‘Eli’ = Origanum vulgare cultivar; OS14 = line; OSI = Franchi Sementi, Lawrence, KS; OSP = Park Seed Company, Hodges, SC; OST = Territorial Seed Company, Cottage Grove, OR. .sup.XND: Compounds not detected in the sample.