<i>Allium </i>plant named ‘Serendipity’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental onion, Allium plant named Serendipity, with compact, medium-sized habit, heavily-glaucous, upright, stiff, strap-like, blue-green foliage without twisting, and numerous, tightly-clustered, reddish-purple flowers forming in globose umbels over a long period beginning in late July.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental onion, plant named Allium Serendipity, as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the overall appearance of the plant, including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

(2) FIG. 1 shows the side-view habit of three-year-old plants in early flowering.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the umbels with flowers and buds.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(4) The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. The new plant, Allium Serendipity, has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different environmental conditions, such as temperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are of a three-year-old plant in a trial garden of a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. under full sun with supplemental water and fertilizer as needed. Botanical classification: Allium hybrid; Parentage: Sport mutation of Millenium; Propagation method: By garden bulb division; Growth rate: Vigorous, flowering in 4 liter containers in about 12 weeks; Rooting habit: Fibrous from base of bulbs, lightly branching; color nearest RHS 158C; Plant habit description: Dense clump of bulbs with sessile rosulate foliage about 69.0 cm across and about 30.0 cm tall; flowering to about 47.0 cm tall; Bulbs: Elongated conical shape; about 6.0 cm long and 1.4 cm diameter at base; about 60 per plant; color nearest RHS 155D; Leaves: Sessile; linear; glaucous, glabrous, dull surfaces; semi-sarcous; simple, margin entire; acute apex, truncate clasping base; mostly flat; about 29.0 cm long and about 10.0 mm across at base; arranged in two-ranked tuffs from bulb; fragrance onion-scented; Leaf color: Expanding leaves adaxial and abaxial base nearest RHS 145B, distally adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS 138B; mature leaves adaxial base nearest RHS NN155C and abaxial base nearest RHS 145B, distally adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS 137A; Leaf venation: Parallel; color same as leaf abaxial and adaxial; Inflorescence: Terminal umbel; round; with flowers facing in all directions; about 55 mm diameter; about 200 to 300 flowers per umbel; about 50 to 70 inflorescences per plant; Flowering period: Beginning late July for about six weeks; individual umbels effective for about 20 days; Blooming habit: With upright globe in bud, remaining upright as initial flowers open; one terminal umbel inflorescence per stem; Buds one day prior to opening: Ellipsoidal; about 6.0 mm long and 4.0 mm diameter at base; Bud color: Nearest RHS 76B in proximal 4 mm with apex nearest RHS 77A; Flowers: Campanulate; incomplete; perfect; with two sets of three tepals, outer set smaller than inner; inferior ovary; actinomorphic; upward and outwardly facing depending on position in umbel; individually effective about four to six days; Flower size: From base to exerted stamens to about 10.0 mm long and about 7.0 mm across; Tepals (outer set): Lanceolate to deltoid; concavo-convex; glabrous; lustrous; acute apex, fused truncate base; about 5.0 mm long and about 2.0 m across; Tepal (inner set): Ovate to deltoid; flat; glabrous; lustrous; acute apex, broadly acute base; about 6.5 mm long and about 2.0 mm across; Tepal color (outer set): Adaxial base nearest RHS 76D, apex nearest RHS N75C; abaxial longitudinal center nearest RHS N75C and margins nearest RHS 76C; Tepal color (inner set): Adaxial longitudinal center nearest RHS N75C, margin nearest RHS 76C; abaxial margins nearest RHS 76C and longitudinal center nearest RHS N75C; Pedicel: Cylindrical; stiff, upward and outwardly facing depending on orientation in umbel; glabrous; glaucous; about 16.0 mm long and about 0.7 mm diameter; Pedicel color: Nearest a blend between RHS 146B and RHS 138A; Peduncle: Glabrous, glaucous; slightly applanate, flattened trapezoid in cross-section; about 42.0 cm long, base about 4.0 mm wide and about 3.0 mm thick; Peduncle color: Base nearest RHS 138A; Gynoecium: Pistil single; to about 9.0 mm long; Style.Single, cylindrical, glabrous, to about to 6.0 mm long and about 0.4 mm across when mature; color nearest a blend between RHS 76A and RHS 76B. Stigma.Globose; about 0.2 mm across; color lighter than RHS 76D. Ovary.Distinctly tri-loculed; obcordate; about 3.0 mm long and 3.0 mm across at rounded apex and truncate base; color nearest blend between RHS N78D and RHS 75B. Androecium: Six; exserted to about 9.0 mm long; Anther.Oblong ellipsoidal; about 2.0 mm long and about 0.7 mm wide; basifixed; longitudinal; color nearest RHS 165C. Filament.Exserted; glabrous; cylindrical; about 7.0 mm long and 0.3 mm at base; color nearest RHS 83D. Pollen.Abundant; color nearest RHS 158D. Receptacle: Turbinate; about 1.5 mm tall and 2.0 mm across top, tapering to pedicel; color nearest RHS 138A; Fruit: Tri-valved loculicidal capsule; about 6.0 mm long and 4.5 mm across; typically dehiscing to within about 1.0 mm of base; one to three seeded; color upon maturity nearest RHS 199D; Seed: Elliptic, flattened along one long side; about 2.5 mm long and about 1.5 mm across; color nearest RHS 202A; Disease and pest resistance: Ornamental onions typically resist deer feeding. Resistance beyond that of other ornamental onion has not been observed. Allium Serendipity plants grow best with good drainage and are able to tolerate some drought when established. Hardiness at least from USDA zone 4 through 8.