Allium plant named ‘Lavender Bubbles’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental onion plant named Allium Lavender Bubbles compact habit, glaucous, upright, stiff, strap-like, flattened, gray-green foliage with slight longitudinal twisting and numerous, tightly-clustered, dark dusty-purple flowers forming in globose umbels.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental onion plant named Allium Lavender Bubbles 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 a three-year-old plant in early flowering.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the umbel 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 Lavender Bubbles, 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: Self-pollination of H9-09-01, which is selection from the cross between a proprietary seedling of Millenium times a different unnamed proprietary seedling selection 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 70.0 cm across and about 45.0 cm tall; flowering to about 61.0 cm tall; Bulbs: Elongated conical shape; about 6.5 cm long and 1.5 cm diameter at base; about 30 per plant; color nearest RHS 155D; Leaves: Sessile; linear; glaucous, glabrous dull surfaces; semi-succulent; simple, margin entire; sharply acute apex, truncate base; slightly twisted longitudinally 180; mostly flat; about 45.0 cm long and about 12.0 mm diameter at base; arranged in two-ranked tuffs from bulb; fragrance onion-scented; Leaf color: Mature and expanding leaves same; both surfaces nearest RHS N138B distally with base nearest RHS 146D; Leaf venation: Parallel; color same as leaf abaxial and adaxial; Inflorescence: In terminal umbel; about 250 to 300 flowers per inflorescence; about 31 inflorescences per plant; globose, about 9.0 cm across and about 8.5 cm tall; lasting about three weeks; onion-like fragrance; beginning in mid to late-August in Michigan and continuing for three weeks; Blooming habit: With upright globe in bud, remaining upright as initial flowers open; one terminal umbel inflorescence per stem; 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; from base to exerted stamens to about 12.0 mm long and about 7.0 mm across; Tepals (outer set): Ovate to deltoid; convex; glabrous; lustrous; acute apex, fused truncate base; about 5.0 mm long and about 2.5 m across; Tepal (inner set): Ovate to deltoid; flat; glabrous; lustrous; acute apex, broadly acute base; about 6.5 mm long and about 3.0 mm across; Tepal color (inner and outer sets identical): Adaxial apex between RHS N77B and RHS N77C, abaxial between RHS N77B and RHS N77D; Buds one day prior to opening: Globose to pyramidal, with three flattened sides; rounded base, rounded apex; about 6.0 mm long and about 5.0 mm diameter at widest point; Bud color: between RHS N77B and N79D; Pedicel: Cylindrical; stiff, upward and outwardly facing depending on orientation in umbel; glabrous; glaucous; about 19.0 mm long and about 1.0 mm diameter; Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 138A; Peduncle: Glabrous, glaucous; flattened trapezoid in cross-section; about 60.0 cm long, base about 9.0 mm wide and about 7.0 mm thick; Peduncle color: Base nearest RHS N138D, upper region between RHS N138B and RHS 189A; Gynoecium: Pistil single; to about 8.0 mm long; Style.Single, cylindrical, glabrous, about 2.5 long expanding to 4.5 mm long and about 0.5 mm across when mature; color initially nearest RHS 77D or lighter becoming nearest RHS 77A. Stigma.Globose; about 0.2 mm across; color lighter than RHS 76D. Ovary.Distinctly tri-loculed; obcordate, widest at apex and narrowest at base; about 3.0 mm long and 4.0 mm across at acute apex and 3.0 mm across at truncate base; color nearest RHS 77C at base. Androecium: Six; exserted to about 9.5 mm long; Anther.Oblong; about 2.0 mm long and about 0.7 mm wide; basifixed; longitudinal; color between RHS 177A and RHS N187B. Filament.Exserted; glabrous; cylindrical; about 8.0 mm long and 1.0 mm at base; color nearest RHS 77A at apex and lightening to nearest RHS NN155D at base. Pollen.Abundant; color nearest RHS 158B. 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 and rabbit feeding. Resistance beyond that of other ornamental onion has not been observed. Allium Lavender Bubbles plant grows best with good drainage and is able to tolerate some drought when established. Hardiness at least from USDA zone 4 through 8.