<i>Fragaria </i>plant named ‘Eves Joy’

Abstract

A new and distinct everbearing Fragaria plant named Eves Joy that is characterized by its marketable fruit yields early in the season, its fruit with skin that is highly glossy and moderately red in color with firm skin and flesh, its semi-upright growth habit with a moderate to sparse canopy and little to no blistering on its leaves, and its fruit that are sweet and exceptionally juicy and consistently large in size.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Fragaria plant named Eves Joy as herein illustrated and described.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying color photographs illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of the new Fragaria. The photographs were taken of three-month-old plants of Eves Joy as grown on tabletops in coir bags under tunnels with polyethylene covers in Faversham, Kent, United Kingdom.

(2) The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a view of the plant habit of Eves Joy and fruit in various stages of development.

(3) The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the berries of Eves Joy.

(4) The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of the berry flesh of Eves Joy.

(5) The photograph in FIG. 4 provides a close-up view of the flowers of Eves Joy.

(6) The photographs depict color features as true as is reasonably possible with the digital photography methods used and the color values cited in the detailed botanical description accurately describe the new Fragaria.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(7) The following is a detailed description of three-month-old plants of Eves Joy as grown on tabletops in coir bags under tunnels with polyethylene covers in Faversham, Kent, United Kingdom. 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.Starting April and produced throughout summer in Faversham, Kent, United Kingdom. Plant type.Herbaceous fruit producing perennial. Plant habit.Semi-upright, with medium to sparsely dense canopy. Height and spread.Medium in size; reaches an average of 42 cm in height and 7.3 cm in width. Cold hardiness.Not tested in areas where temperatures of less than 32? F. occur. Diseases.Tolerance to Botryotinia cinerea and slight susceptibility to Podosphaera leucotricha (powdery mildew) has been observed. Root description.Fibrous, NN155D in color. Root development.2 weeks to initiate roots, 5 weeks to produce a young rooted plant. Propagation.Rooting of stolons and tissue culture. Growth rate.Vigorous. Stem description.Acaulescent. Stolon description.Produces very few stolons throughout the cropping season, surface pubescence is sparse and anthocyanin coloration is medium. Foliage description: Leaf division.Three leaflets. Leaf arrangement.Basal. Leaf attachment.Petiolate. Leaflet shape.Rounded. Mid-tier leaflet size.Average of 9.7 cm in length and 9.3 cm in width. Leaflet margins.Serrate to crenate with an average of 21.6 serrations per leaf. Leaflet base.Acute. Leaflet apex.Round. Leaflet glossiness.Both surfaces glossy. Leaflet aspect.Concave. Leaflet interveinal blistering.Low. Leaflet venation.Pinnate, coloration matched leaflet color. Leaflet surface.Upper surface glabrous, lower surface very slightly pubescent, particularly along the vein. Leaflet color.Upper surface 137A, lower surface 148B, no variegation present on either surface. Petiole.Round in shape, average of 25.3 cm in length and 4.3 mm in width, 114B in color, surfaces are moderately pubescent. Petiolules.Round in shape, average of 2.9 cm in length and 2.7 mm in width, moderately pubescent surface, 145A in color. Stipule.Average of 3.2 cm in length and 2.2 cm in width, 52C in color. Flower description: Inflorescence.Truss. Inflorescence size.Medium to long in length; average of 30.5 cm in length (average of 25 cm before branching) and 0.5 cm in width. Flower initiation and expression conditions.Temperature dependent. Time of flowering (50% of plants at first flower).Early season. Number of flowers per truss.Average of 6. Flower position relative to foliage.Mostly beneath the level of the leaf canopy. Flower size.Average of 3.27 cm in diameter and 1.9 cm in depth. Flower fragrance.Slight, weak. Calyx.Average of 2.4 cm in diameter, smaller than corolla. Sepals.Average of 10, oblanceolate in shape, obtuse base, acute apex, an average of 2.3 cm in length and 1 cm in width, color; 143B, abaxial color early in the season 145A, later in the season 141C, truncate base, acuminate to acute apex, both surfaces pubescent, position; mixed arrangement relative to the fruit, most re-curving, some horizontal with fruit shoulder. Petals.Average of 5, average of 1.1 cm in length and 1.14 cm in width, round in shape, acute base, obtuse apex, touching in arrangement, entire margins, upper and lower surface glabrous and NN155A in color. Peduncle.N144C in color, densely pubescent surface; hair attitude is upwards, strong in strength, average of 25 cm in length and 5 mm in width. Pedicel.Color; earlier in the season 145A, later in the season N144D, moderately pubescent surface; hair attitude is upwards, strong in strength, average of 5.5 cm in length and 2.1 mm in diameter. Gynoecium.Average of 4.5 mm in height and 5.4 mm in width, with a steeply dome shaped and slightly pointed top, multiple simple pistils present with capitate shaped stigma, stigma color 1A. Androecium.Stamens; average of 13, anthers; oval in shape, 1 mm in length, 14A in color in early season and changing to 13B, filament; 1 mm in length and 154A in color, pollen; moderate in quantity, 2A in color. Bracts.Observed on majority of the flower trusses from early developmental stage, which progresses into a small single leaflet as the truss matures and fruit develops with characteristics similar to leaflets. Fruit description: Shape.Predominantly conical, shape is similar for primary, secondary and tertiary fruit. Season of harvest.May through to End September in Faversham, Kent. Time of ripening (50% of plants with first ripe fruit).Early. Type of bearing.Everbearing. Size.Large; an average of 4.44 cm in length and 3.91 cm in width. Surface.Smooth, medium to highly glossy. Calyx position.Mostly level with fruit and mostly re-curved. Attitude of calyx segments.Mostly re-curved with strong adherence to the fruit. Diameter of calyx relative to fruit diameter.Calyx is the same to slightly smaller in size than the fruit diameter. Glossiness.Medium to strongly glossy. External color (skin).N45A, color is retained throughout the cropping season. Internal color (flesh).Near skin; 42A, near center; 42B. Evenness of color of skin.Very even. Evenness of color of flesh.Paler near center. Acidity.Low. Total titratable acid average of 0.5% over three seasons in trials. Sweetness.High. Soluble solids.Average of 9? over three seasons in trials. Firmness.Skin is firm (resistant to bruising), flesh is firm. Juiciness.High. Aroma.Slight. Weight.Average of 20.9 g per berry and 1,642 g per plant from late May to end of September over three seasons in trials. Hollow center.Slight on primary, secondary and tertiary fruit, generally more prominent on primary fruit. Shelf life.Very good, at least 7 days in cold storage. Achene color.34A and changing to 3A when mature. Achene position.Majority below the surface. Achene number.An average of 251 per berry. Band within achenes.Absent. Fruit use.Primarily fresh fruit market.