<i>Lavandula </i>plant named ‘Tesseract’

Abstract

A new cultivar of Lavandula x intermedia plant named Tesseract that is characterized by its foliage that is very broad and bright silver with a very thick substance, its very compact and strongly upright plant habit, its flowering stems that are strong and held upright and straight making it ideal for fresh or dry cut flowers, its large flowers on very densely flowered flower spikes, its flower petals that are a bright and deeply saturated purple color, its flower stems that are very thick and branched resulting in rebloom for a longer blooming season, its tolerance to leaf spotting and root disease, and its strong, pleasant lavender fragrance.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lavandula x intermedia plant named Tesseract as herein illustrated and described.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying colored photographs illustrates the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of the new cultivar. The photographs were taken of plants about 8 months in age as grown outdoors in 1-gallon containers in Kintnersville, Pa.

(2) The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of Tesseract in bloom.

(3) The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of an inflorescence of Tesseract.

(4) The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a view of cut flower stems of Tesseract (on the left) compared to cut stems of its parent plant, Niko (on the right).

(5) The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the photographic and printing technology utilized. The color values cited in the detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of the new Lavandula.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(6) The following is a detailed description of 8-month old plants of the new cultivar as grown outdoors in 1-gallon containers in Bellfonte, Pa. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2015 Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. General description: Blooming habit.Blooms early to mid-June, continuously for 6 to 8 weeks, longer if side florets develop. Plant type.Herbaceous perennial. Plant habit.Upright with upright lateral branches. Height and spread.Reaches about 45 cm in height (including inflorescence), 29 cm in height (excluding inflorescence) and 33 cm in spread as grown in a one-gallon container, mature plant in the landscape reaches 60 cm in height (including inflorescence), 36 cm in height (excluding inflorescence) and 60 cm in spread. Cold hardiness.At least to U.S.D.A. Zone 5. Diseases and pests.Has shown good resistance to leaf spot and root disease caused by Phytophthora sp., Pythium sp. and Rhizoctonia sp. Root description.Fibrous, 159C in color. Root development.Roots initiate in 3 to 4 weeks, average time to produce young plant from rooted cutting is 8 to 10 weeks. Propagation.Stem tip cuttings. Growth.Moderate. Stem description: Stem shape.Quadangular. Stem color.Young; ranging between 145A and 147A, mature wood; 165A. Stem surface.Young stems; dull and densely covered with tiny soft tomentose hairs, mature wood is slightly glossy and smooth. Stem size.Average of 25 cm in length and 4 mm in diameter. Stem strength.Strong. Stem aspect.Held upright to bowing outward. Branching.An average of 11 lateral branches on a plant developed in an 17-cm container, 1 to 2 secondary branches develop for rebloom. Foliage description: Leaf shape.Narrowly oblong to narrowly oblanceolate to moderately revolute. Leaf division.Simple. Leaf base.Cuneate. Leaf apex.Rounded-acute. Leaf venation.Pinnate, veins match surface color. Leaf margins.Entire. Leaf arrangement.Opposite to slightly whorled. Leaf attachment.Sessile. Leaf number.Average of 50 per stem length of 25 cm. Leaf surface.Upper surface and lower surface; densely covered with tiny tomentose pubescence, too small to measure color and size. Leaf size.Average of 7 cm in length and 1 cm in width. Leaf internode length.Densely covered with foliage, ranges between 0.5 mm to 2 cm. Leaf color.Young upper and lower surface; 189A, mature upper and lower surface; NN137A. Leaf fragrance.Very strong Lavender fragrance. Inflorescence description: Inflorescence type.Terminal verticillasters. Inflorescence number.1 per lateral stem with 1 to 3 subsequent blooms on secondary branches. Inflorescence fragrance.Pleasant strong Lavender fragrance, floral rather than pungent. Lastingness of inflorescence.Average of 12 weeks on the plant and as a fresh cut flower. Inflorescence size.Average of 11 cm in (height) and 1.5 cm in width. Flowers.Outward aspect, self-cleaning, salverform in shape, with one upper lip (split into two identical lobes), lower lip (split into three identical lobes), average total of 50 flowers and buds per inflorescence, about 7 mm in depth (height) and 5 mm in diameter. Flower buds.Average of 6 mm in length and 2 mm in diameter, elliptic to oblong in shape, color is 144C, entire surface is densely covered with tiny tomentose pubescence, too small to be measured and closest to NN155D in color and slightly translucent and matching surface color. Petals.Dull and smooth on upper and lower surfaces, rotate in arrangement, 2 (upper lip split in 2 lobes, lower lip split in 3 lobes; all lobes are identical in shape and colour), spathulate in shape, lower 50% of petals are fused into tube, entire margin, upper part of petal apex split into two lobes, lower petal apex split into three lobes, apexes are rounded, upper lip is 4 mm in length and 5 mm in width, lower lip 2 mm in length and 7 mm in width, color; upper and lower surface of petal when opening and fully open; 76A, surfaces fading to 90A. Sepals.Linear in shape, bluntly acute apex, cuneate base, color of both surfaces 147A, both surfaces are dull and densely covered with tiny tomentose pubescence. Calyx.Closed campanulate in shape, 5 mm in length and 2 mm in diameter. Peduncles.Strong, quadrangular shape, ribbed surface, average of 25 cm in length and 2 mm in diameter, growing in a vertical angle to outwardly upright, color is between 143A and 194A and densely covered with tiny tomentose pubescence. Pedicels.None present, flower attachment sessile. Bracts.Deltoid in shape and fused into tube, entire margin, acuminate apex, cuneate base, 6 mm in length and 4 mm in width, upper and lower surface colors; base 145A, mid-section to tip 146A, veins 141A, upper surface glossy and glabrous, lower surface densely covered with tiny tomentose pubescence. Reproductive organs: Pistils.1, pistil is 5 mm in length, stigma is narrow and linear in shape, 1 mm in length, 0.5 mm in diameter and 90B in color, style is 4 mm in length and NN155D in color, ovary is 1 mm in length and diameter, round in shape and 149A in color. Stamens.4, anthers are dorsifixed, kidney-shaped, about 0.5 mm in length and 203B in color, the filament is 3 mm in length and 0.5 mm in diameter, N155D in color, pollen is abundant in quantity and N25A in color. Fruit and seeds.No fruit or seed development has been observed.