x<i>Portmea </i>plant named ‘DURALIL’

Abstract

A new and distinct xPortmea cultivar named DURALIL which is characterized by an elongated compound spike inflorescence, a light pink peduncle and secondary branches, large pink bracts subtending the secondary branches of the inflorescence, secondary conduplicate bracts which envelope each flower bud along the length of the secondary branches, secondary bracts which are vibrant dark red-purple and fading to light pink towards the base, as well as the stability of these characteristics from generation to generation.

Claims

1. A new and distinct variety of xPortmea plant named DURALIL, substantially as described and illustrated herein.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 illustrates, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color photographs of this type, an exemplary plant of DURALIL grown in a commercial greenhouse in Evergem, Belgium. This plant is approximately 18 months old from the time of mericloning, shown planted in a 15 cm nursery container.

(2) FIG. 2 illustrates, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color photographs of this type, the typical foliage of DURALIL.

(3) FIG. 3 illustrates, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color photographs of this type, the typical inflorescence of DURALIL.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

(4) The following observations and measurements made in April of 2017 describe averages from a sample set of six specimens of 18 month-old DURALIL plants grown in 15 cm nursery pots at a greenhouse in Evergem, Belgium. Plants were produced using conventional greenhouse production protocols for xPortmea which consisted of regular overhead irrigation and fertigation applications. No pest or disease control measures were utilized in production. Plants were grown under shade (approximately 12,000 lux maximum) and no photoperiodic treatments or artificial light was given to the plants.

(5) Those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain characteristics will vary with older or, conversely, with younger plants. DURALIL has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. Where dimensions, sizes, colors and other characteristics are given, it is to be understood that such characteristics are approximations or averages set forth as accurately as practicable. The phenotype of the variety may differ from the descriptions set forth herein with variations in environmental, climatic and cultural conditions. Color notations are based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, The Royal Horticultural Society, London, 2015 (sixth edition).

(6) A botanical description of DURALIL and comparisons with the parents and most similar commercial variety are provided below. Plant description: Growth habit.Perennial; upright monopodial basal rosette with inflorescences growing from the center of the rosette; a terminal inflorescence is carried above the leaf plane. Average height from base to top of foliar plane.61.2 cm. Average height from base to top of floral plane.66.0 cm. Plant spread.Average of 107.3 cm. Growth rate.Moderately fast to fast rate of growth. Plant vigor.Moderately vigorous to vigorous. Propagation type.Mericloning. Time to initiate roots.About 14 days at approximately 22 degrees Celsius. Time to produce a marketable plant.Approximately 18 months. Disease and pest resistance or susceptibility.Neither resistance nor susceptibility to typical xPortmea pests and diseases has been observed. Environmental tolerances.Adapt to, at least, USDA Zones 10 and 12 and temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius; high tolerance to rain; high tolerance to wind. Root system: General.Moderately dense rooting; roots are strong. Dimensions, mature roots.16.5 cm long with a diameter of 0.1 cm, on average. Texture.Fibrous, non-fleshy. Color.Brown, nearest RHS N200B. Stem: Branching habit.Monopodial; no lateral branches present. Number of primary stems per plant.None; leaves form a basal rosette. Number of secondary branches per plant.None. Foliage: Arrangement.Rosulate. Division.Simple. Dimensions.69.2 cm long, including the leaf sheath, and 7.8 cm wide. Aspect.Moderately concave. Attitude.Arching, with the proximal portion has an upward and outward attitude, while the distal portion of the leaf is moderately curved downward. Shape of blade.Ligulate. Apex.Bluntly acute. Base.Sheathing. Sheath.Dimensions 13.1 cm long and 10.0 cm wide, on average. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces Smooth, glabrous, and matte. Color Upper surface Nearest to in between yellow-green and greyed-green, RHS 151D and 195B. Lower surface Yellow-green, nearest to RHS 152D. Margin.Sharply serrate. Pubescence, texture and luster of adaxial surface.Glabrous, smooth, and moderately glossy. Pubescence, texture and luster of abaxial surface.Glabrous, smooth, and slightly glossy. Color.Juvenile foliage, adaxial surface Nearest to in between green and yellow-green, RHS 143B and 144A. Serrated teeth along the margin are greyed-orange, nearest to a mixture of RHS 166A, 166B and 166C. Juvenile foliage, abaxial surface Nearest to in between green and yellow-green, RHS 143A and 144A. Serrated teeth along the margin are greyed-orange, nearest to a mixture of RHS 166A, 166B and 166C. Mature foliage, adaxial surface Green, nearest to in between RHS NN137B and 143A. Mature foliage, abaxial surface Green, nearest to RHS 143A. Venation.Pattern Parallel. Color, adaxial surface Green, nearest to in between RHS NN137B and 143A. Color, abaxial surface Green, nearest to RHS 143A. Petiole.No petioles present, leaves are sessile. Inflorescence: Inflorescence arrangement.Terminal compound spike. Natural flowering season.Spring into autumn in Evergem, Belgium. Flowering habit.Moderately floriferous. Time to flower10 weeks after flowering. Flowers per inflorescence.Approximately 300 unopened buds and 50 open flower. Height.46.7 cm. Diameter.24.7 cm. Attitude.Near vertical. Peduncle.Dimensions Approximately 81.5 cm long and 0.8 cm in diameter. Strength Strong. Texture Densely covered with stellate pubescence which is colored white, RHS NN155A. Color Red, nearest to a mixture of RHS 54A and 54B. Bud: Shape.Ovate; flattened. Length.Average of 0.7 cm. Diameter.0.4 cm at the widest point, and 0.3 cm at the narrowest point. Pubescence, texture and luster.Glabrous, smooth and glossy. Color.Violet-blue, RHS 91B, and moderately covered with small dots which are a darker shade of violet-blue, RHS 90B; the base of the bud is yellow-green, nearest to a mixture of RHS 145B, 145C and 145D. Flower: Flower type.Rotate, with a single whorl of free petals. Attitude.Flowers are outward to upward facing. Attachment.Sessile. Diameter.0.7 cm. Depth.2.0 cm. Fragrance.Not fragrant. Lastingness.Approximately 3 weeks. Persistent.Persistent. Petals.Quantity of petals 3. Connation Petals are free. Arrangement Rotate. Length Approximately 1.8 cm. Width Approximately 0.2 cm. Shape Oblanceolate. Apex Bluntly acute. Base Narrowly cuneate. Margin Entire; moderate undulation. Pubescence, texture and luster of upper surface Glabrous, smooth, and matte. Pubescence, texture and luster of lower surface Glabrous, smooth, and matte. Color when opening, upper surface Brown, RHS N200A, and margined greyed-brown, RHS 199D. Color when opening, lower surface Brown, RHS N200A, and margined greyed-brown, RHS 199D. Color when fully opened, upper surface Greyed-brown, nearest to a combination of RHS 199A and 199B. Color when fully opened, lower surface Brown, RHS N200A. Fading, upper surface Not fading. Fading, lower surface Not fading. Venation color, fully opened, upper surface Greyed-brown, nearest to a combination of RHS 199A and 199B. Venation color, fully opened, lower surface Brown, RHS N200A. Spurs.None. Calyx.Shape Rotate. Length 1.3 cm. Width Calyx is flatted; 0.7 cm at the widest point and 0.6 cm at the narrowest. Sepals Arrangement Rotate; single whorl. Connation Aposepalous. Quantity 3. Length 1.0 cm. Width 0.2 cm. Shape Narrow obovate. Apex Bluntly acute. Base Cuneate. Margin Entire. Texture and luster, inner surface Smooth, glabrous, and glossy. Texture and luster, outer surface Smooth, glabrous, and glossy. Color when opening, inner surface Violet-blue, RHS 91A. Color when opening, outer surface Violet-blue, RHS 91A. Color when fully opened, inner surface Violet-blue, RHS 91A. Color when fully opened, lower surface Violet-blue, RHS 91A. Pedicels.Flowers are sessile. Bracts: General description.Large, primary bracts subtend the secondary branches of the compound spikes, with secondary conduplicate bracts enveloping each flower bud along the length of the secondary branches. Large, primary bracts Shape Lanceolate. Length 5.9 cm. Width 2.5 cm. Apex Narrowly acuminate. Base Bracts are sessile. Margins Entire; not undulated to very lightly undulated. Color, inner surface Red-purple, RHS 72D. Color, outer surface Nearest to a combination of red-purple, RHS 72D, and yellow, RHS 7B. Secondary conduplicate bracts Shape Lanceolate; conduplicate. Length 1.5 cm. Width 0.65 cm. Apex Acute. Base Broad Cuneate. Margins Entire; not undulated. Color Light red-purple towards the base, nearest to RHS 72D, and becoming darker red-purple towards the apex, nearest to RHS 71B. Reproductive organs: Androecium.General Stamens reduced to staminodes. Staminode quantity 6. Anther Shape Narrow oblong. Dimensions 0.4 cm long and 0.75 cm wide. Color Greyed-yellow, RHS 160D. Filament Dimensions 1.8 cm long and 0.2 cm wide. Color Brown, RHS N200A, and margined greyed-brown, RHS 199D. Pollen Amount of pollen None present. Pollen color None present. Gynoecium.Pistil quantity One. Pistil length 1.7 cm. Stigma Shape Club-shaped. Diameter 0.1 cm. Color Greyed-brown, RHS N199D. Style Length 1.55 cm. Color Greyed-brown, RHS N199A, and fading to a lighter shade of greyed-brown, RHS N199D. Ovary Color Yellow-green, RHS 145D. Seed and fruit: Not observed.

COMPARISONS WITH THE PARENT PLANTS

(7) Plants of the new cultivar DURALILI differ from the unnamed Aechmea smithiorum var. longistipitata seed parent (not patented), by the characteristics described in Table 1.

(8) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Characteristic DURALIL' Seed parent. General coloration of the Pink. Light green. peduncle and secondary branches of the inflorescences. General coloration of the Vibrant, dark red- Pale pink. secondary bracts. purple and fading to light pink at the base. Size of the secondary Larger than those of Smaller than those bracts. the seed parent. of DURALIL.

(9) Plants of the new cultivar DURALIL differ from the unnamed Portea alatisepela pollen parent (not patented), by the characteristics described in Table 2.

(10) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Characteristic DURALIL Pollen parent. General coloration of the Lighter green than the Darker green than mature foliage. pollen parent. DURALIL. General coloration of the Pink. Pink and suffused peduncle and secondary with red. branches of the inflorescences. General coloration of the Vibrant, dark red-purple Pink and suffused secondary bracts. and fading to light pink with red. at the base. Size of the secondary Longer than those of the Shorter than those of bracts. pollen parent. DURALIL.

COMPARISON WITH THE MOST SIMILAR COMMERCIAL CULTIVAR KNOWN TO THE INVENTOR

(11) DURALIL is similar to the commercial variety Aechmea x Del Mar (U.S. Pat. No. 13,421) in many horticultural characteristics. However, DURALIL differs from Del Mar in the following characteristics described in Table 3.

(12) TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Characteristic DURALIL Del Mar Foliage size. Longer than Del Mar. Shorter than DURALIL. General coloration Lighter green than the Darker green than of the mature Del Mar. DURALIL. foliage. Foliage attitude. More upright than Del Less upright than Mar. DURALIL. Inflorescence size. More elongated than the More compact than the inflorescence of the seed inflorescence of parent. DURALIL. Size of the Larger than those of the Smaller than those of secondary bracts. Del Mar. DURALIL. General coloration Vibrant, dark red-purple Less vibrant red-purple. of the secondary and fading to light pink bracts. at the base.