Salvia plant named ‘Amante’

Abstract

A new cultivar of hybrid Salvia, Amante, that is characterized by its flowers that are typical of Salvia guaranitica in flower type and red and pink in color with dark calyces, its long blooming habit with new shoots producing flowers throughout the summer, its early commencement of bloom, its plant height of up to 1.2 meter, and its growth habit that lacks spreading roots.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Salvia plant named Amante as herein illustrated and described.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of a 7-month-old plant of the new Salvia as grown in a two-gallon container in Loxely, Ala.

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

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

(4) The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of the foliage of Amante.

(5) The 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 Salvia.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(6) The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar of 7 months in age as grown outdoors in two-gallon containers in Loxely, Ala. 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 period.Early commence of bloom and blooms for 28 weeks in Mar del Plata, Argentina. Plant type.Herbaceous perennial. Plant habit.Upright and spreading. Plant size.Reaches about 43 cm in height and 56 cm in spread as grown in a 2-gallon container and up to 1.2 m in height and 60 cm in spread in the landscape. Cold hardiness.U.S.D.A. Zone 9. Diseases and pests.No susceptibility or resistance to diseases or pests has been observed. Root description.Fibrous, non-spreading, 161A in color. Propagation.Vegetative stem cuttings. Growth rate.Moderately vigorous. Root development.20 days for root initiation, 60 days to produce a young plant from rooted cutting. Stem description: Shape.4-angled. Stem color.New growth; N144A suffused with 166A, mature stems; 144B with striations of 166A becoming bark-like at base 144A with striations of 199A. Stem size.Stem base; about 6 cm in diameter, main stems; an average of 5 mm in diameter and 35 cm in length, lateral branches; average of 4 mm in diameter and up to 19 cm in length. Stem surface.New growth; pubescent, mature stems; sparsely covered with glandular hairs, base of stem; fissured (bark-like). Internode length.Average of 4 cm. Branching.Average of 3 main stems, an average of 5 lateral braches per main stem, an average of 2 sub-lateral flowering branches per lateral branch. Foliage description: Leaf shape.Ovate. Leaf division.Simple. Leaf base.Cordate. Leaf apex.Acuminate to acute. Leaf fragrance.None. Leaf venation.Pinnate, 144B in color on upper surface, 144D in color on lower surface. Leaf margins.Serrated. Leaf arrangement.Opposite. Leaf attachment.Petiolate. Leaf surface.Dull, rough to the touch, and densely covered with tiny stiff pubescence on upper and lower surface. Leaf size.Up to 11 cm in length and 7 cm in width. Leaf color.Newly expanded leaves; upper surface NN137A and N144A near base, lower surface 137A, mature leaves; upper surface NN137A, lower surface 146A, some leaves have a flush of 79A on the margins. Petioles.Up to 3 cm in length and 2 mm in width, 145A in color, densely puberulent surface. Inflorescence description: Inflorescence type.Terminal branched raceme. Lastingness of inflorescence.Individual flowers about 5 days on a plant in a container or in the garden, not persistent. Inflorescence size.An average of 8 cm in length and 7 cm in width. Flower type.Tubular-bilabiate. Flower number.An average of 10 flowers and 22 buds per inflorescence at one time. Flower fragrance.Very faint pleasant fragrance. Flower buds.Tubular in shape, about 1 cm in length and 6 mm in diameter, a blend of 149A and 144A in color, apex 92A. Flower size.Average of 4 cm in length and about 1 cm in diameter. Peduncle (rachis).An average of 11 cm in length and 3 mm in width, color N144A and suffused with 166A, surface is densely covered with glandular hairs, flower internode length an average of 4 mm. Pedicels.About 4 mm in length and 1 mm in width, 183A with a flush of 185B in the middle and 145B at the base in color, surface is pubescent. Calyx.Tubular, about 6 mm in length and 3 mm in width, persistent for about a week after petals drop. Sepals.2, fused at base with very apex free that is triangular in shape, 4 mm in length and width, apex mucronate, entire margin, a blend of 149A and 144A in color, in color, surface is finely puberulent and lustrous. Petals.2, arranged in 2 lips fused into tube at base, tube; about 1.5 cm in length and 7 mm in diameter, 61A with a slight flush of 72A in color, lustrous surface, densely covered with pubescence on outer surface, velvety on inner surface, throat an average of 6 mm in diameter, upper lip; 2-lobed, held upright to tube, curved into renal shape around pistil and stamens, about 1.5 cm in length and 5 mm in width, a blend of 72A, 73A and 72B in color, apex single notched, lower lip; 4-fused lobes, obtuse in shape with sides re-curved, margins entire to slightly wavy in middle section, apex in center 2-notched, base fused, velvety and lustrous on outer and inner surface, each lobe an average of 5 mm in length, as a whole 5 mm in width, inner and outer surface 61A in color. Reproductive organs: Gynoecium.Pistil; average of 3 cm in length, 5 mm exerted beyond corolla, style; 2.5 cm in length, 0.8 mm in width and 69C in color with very apex 72B with hairs 72B in color, stigma; bifid with arms about 3 mm in length, linear and pointed in shape and N79A in color, ovary; superior, oblong in shape, about 3 mm in length and 2 mm in diameter and 145C in color. Androecium.Stamens; 2, filaments; colors are a blend of 71B at top, N75B in middle, and 69D at base, average of 2 cm in length and 1 mm in width, attached to lobe sides with linear arms about 1 mm in length and 69D in color with base flushed 70A in color, fused at base, anthers; average of 5 mm in length, N83A in color and dorsifixed, pollen is abundant in quantity and 18B in color. Fruit and seed.Observed to be sterile with no viable seeds formed.