Sweetfern plant named 'BLUE SEA'

Abstract

The present invention relates to new and distinct cultivar of Sweetfern, botanically known as Comptonia peregrina and hereinafter referred to by the name Blue Sea. Blue Sea is a compact, blue-tinted leaf Sweetfern plant that has leaves that are narrower and finer in texture than wild Comptonia peregrina.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Sweetfern plant named Blue Sea, substantially as illustrated and described herein.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

[0017] The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Sweetfern 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

[0018] Sweetfern plant.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a close-up view of the blue-tinted foliage of mature Comptonia peregrina Blue Sea.

[0020] FIG. 2 shows a side-perspective view of a mature plant of Comptonia peregrina Blue Sea grown outside in a two-gallon container.

[0021] FIG. 3 shows rooted cuttings of Comptonia peregrina Blue Sea.

[0022] FIG. 4 shows a comparison between the foliage of wild Comptonia peregrina (left) and the narrow-leaved foliage Comptonia peregrina Blue Sea (right).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

[0023] The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during summer in pots in an outdoor cold frame in Storrs, Conn. Plants used for the photographs and description were 3 years old. In the following detailed description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. [0024] Botanical classification: Comptonia peregrina cultivar Blue Sea. [0025] Parentage: [0026] Female, or seed, parent.Unnamed selection from Willington, Conn. [0027] Male, or pollen, parent.Unknown. [0028] Propagation: [0029] Type.Softwood cutting, taken when shoot recently emerged from dormancy or from recently divided rhizomes and elongated to a length of 5 to 7.6 cm. 3000 (Hormodin 2) or 8000 ppm (Hormodin 3) IBA in talc. [0030] Time to initiate roots, summer.About 5 weeks at temperatures of about 75 F. [0031] Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.About 8 weeks at temperatures of about 75 F. [0032] Root description.Fine. [0033] Rooting habit.Fibrous. [0034] Plant description: [0035] Plant form and growth habit.Mounded and dense plant. [0036] Plant height.About 60-92 cm. [0037] Plant diameter (area of spread).About 60-92 cm. [0038] Vigor.Moderate. [0039] Lateral branch description: [0040] Length.About 10-20 cm. [0041] Diameter.About 2 mm. [0042] Internode length.About 5-10 mm. [0043] Color.Close to brown group 200D. [0044] Leaf description: [0045] Arrangement.Alternate simple. [0046] Length.About 5-10 cm. [0047] Width.About 1-1.5 cm. [0048] Shape.Linear. [0049] Apex shape.Acute. [0050] Base shape.Acute. [0051] Margin type.Coarsely toothed. [0052] Texture, upper and lower surfaces.Minutely pubescent. [0053] Venation pattern.Pinnate. [0054] Fragrance.Sweet, most noticeably on warm sunny days. [0055] Color.Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to green 140 B under high light conditions. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to green 140 B under high light conditions. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to green 135 A to 136 A under high light conditions. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to yellow green 148 B under high light conditions. [0056] Petiole.Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: minutely pubescent. [0057] Persistence of foliage.Deciduous. [0058] Glossiness of the leaf.Non-glossy. [0059] Stem: [0060] Shape.Round. [0061] Surface texture.Pubescent. [0062] Color.Brown group 200D. [0063] Flower description: [0064] Monoecious or dioecious.Monoecious. [0065] Flower arrangement and habit.Male catkins clustered at shoot tip in a few to several. Female flowers in small groups directly below male flowers. [0066] Fragrance.None. [0067] Natural flowering season.Early spring. [0068] Flower longevity.2 weeks. [0069] Inflorescence length.Male: About 2 cm. Female: About 7 mm. [0070] Inflorescence diameter.Male: About 6 mm. Female: About 8 mm. [0071] Inflorescence type.Male: Catkin. Female: Small apetalous with prominent stigmas. [0072] Number of flowers per inflorescence.Male: 60. Female: 40. [0073] Number of inflorescences per stem. Male: 8-10. Female: 0-2. [0074] Flower diameter.Male: About 3 mm. Female: About 1 mm. [0075] Flower length (height).Male: About 1-2 mm. Female: About 4 to 5 mm. [0076] Sepals (bract).Arrangement: Single subtending flower. Length: About 3 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Spade. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Broad. Margin: Minutely hairy. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color: Close to yellow green 149 A transitions to orange 174 C at the tip. [0077] Peduncles.Sessile. [0078] Pedicels.Sessile. [0079] Reproductive organs.Stamens: Quantity: 3 to 6. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther color: Close to yellow green 149 A. Pollen amount: Scarce, moderate. Pollen color: Close to yellow 8 B. Pistils: Quantity: 1 per flower. Pistil length: About 5 mm. Style length: About 4 mm. Style color: Close to red purple 58 A. Stigma color: Close to red purple 58 A. Ovary color: Close to red purple 58 A. [0080] Fruit description: [0081] Shape.Elliptical. [0082] Size.5 mm. [0083] Number of seeds.1. [0084] Seeds description: [0085] Length.About 2-3 mm. [0086] Width.About 1-2 mm. [0087] Thickness.About 1-2 mm. [0088] Shape.Elliptical. [0089] Garden performance: Plants of the new Sweetfern have been observed to have excellent garden performance and tolerate high light, full exposure, dry, infertile soils and summer temperatures above 90 F. and low temperatures of 20 F. [0090] Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Sweetfern have not been shown to be resistant to pests and other pathogens common to Sweetfern plants.