<i>Petunia </i>plant named ‘Surf Ikuyoko’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Surf Ikuyoko’, characterized by its upright to spreading and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; long flowering period; large flowers that are bright reddish purple in color; and good garden performance.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘Surf Ikuyoko’ as illustrated and described.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

(1) The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Petunia plant showing 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 Petunia plant.

(2) The photograph at the top of the sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Surf Ikuyoko’ grown in a container.

(3) The photograph at the bottom of the sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘Surf Ikuyoko’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(4) The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the early summer in 24-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Petunia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night temperatures averaged 13° C. Plants were six months old when the photographs and description were 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 classification: Petunia x hybrida ‘Surf Ikuyoko’. Parentage: Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Petunia x hybrida identified as code designation Px8284-4, not patented. Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Petunia x hybrida identified as code designation PP1, not patented. Propagation: Type.—By terminal vegetative cuttings. Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About one week at temperatures about 15° C. to 20° C. Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and winter.—About three weeks at temperatures about 15° C. to 20° 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; dense. Plant description: Plant form and growth habit.—Upright to spreading and mounding plant habit; freely branching habit with numerous lateral branches developing per plant; pinching enhances lateral branch development; vigorous growth habit. Plant height.—About 27 cm. Plant diameter.—About 50 cm. Lateral branch description: Length.—About 23.6 cm. Diameter.—About 3.8 mm. Internode length.—About 1.9 cm. Strength.—Strong, flexible. Aspect.—Upright to outwardly. Texture.—Densely pubescent; rough; viscid. Color.—Close to 144B. Leaf description: Quantity and arrangement.—About 18 leaves per lateral branch; alternate, simple. Length.—About 6.1 cm. Width.—About 3.8 cm. Shape.—Elliptic. Apex.—Acute. Base.—Attenuate. Margin.—Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Sparsely pubescent, rough; viscid. Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate. Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137A; venation, close to 146B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A; venation, close to 146C. Petioles.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 5.4 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent; rough; viscid. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 143B. Flower description: Flower arrangement and habit.—Large single-type salverform flowers arising from upper leaf axils; freely flowering habit with usually about three to four flowers developing per lateral branch and about 54 flower buds and flowers per plant at one time during the flowering season; flowers face mostly upright to slightly outwardly. Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant, pleasant. Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit; plants of the new Petunia initiate and develop flowers about three to four weeks after planting; long flowering period, flowering commences naturally during the spring and plants flower continuously throughout the summer until late autumn in Japan. Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about seven to ten days on the plant; flowers not persistent. Flower buds.—Length: About 5.2 cm. Diameter: About 2.1 mm. Shape: Cylindrical. Color: Immature sepals, close to 145B; immature petals, close to N79C. Flower diameter.—About 9.3 cm. Flower tube length.—About 3.2 cm. Flower tube diameter, proximally.—About 4.9 mm. Flower tube diameter, distally.—About 1.5 cm. Corolla.—Quantity and arrangement: Five in a single whorl, fused at the base and opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat: About 3.75 cm. Petal width: About 4.4 cm. Petal shape: Roughly spatulate. Petal apex: Cuspidate. Petal margin: Entire; strongly undulate. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Pubescent, rough. Color: Petal, when opening, upper surface: Close to NN78A. Petal, when opening, lower surface: Close to NN74D. Petal, fully opened, upper surface: Close to NN74B; venation, close to 70A; color becoming closer to 73A with subsequent development. Petal, fully opened, lower surface: Close to 73A; venation, close to 73A; color does not change with subsequent development. Throat: Distally, close to 144C; proximally, close to N148B; venation, close to 183B. Tube: Distally, close to NN155C; center, close to 155C; proximally, close to 144A; venation, similar to lamina colors. Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five sepals arranged in a single whorl and fused at the base. Sepal length: About 1.2 cm. Sepal width: About 5.9 mm. Sepal shape: Ovate. Sepal apex: Obtuse. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; viscid. Color, upper surface: Close to 138A. Color, lower surface: Close to 143A. Peduncles.—Length: About 2.3 cm. Diameter: About 2.7 mm. Strength: Strong, flexible. Aspect: Upright to outwardly. Texture: Densely pubescent; viscid. Color: Close to 143A. Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five. Filament length: About 1 cm. Filament color: Close to 145D. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther size: About 2 mm by 3.2 mm. Anther color: Close to 8D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 155A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 2.7 cm. Style color: Close to 145C. Stigma shape: Transversely ellipsoidal. Stigma color: Close to 143A. Ovary color: Close to 145C. Seeds and fruits: To date, seed and fruit development have not been observed on plants of the new Petunia. Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C. Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Petunia have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia plants.