<i>Coleus </i>plant named ‘UF18-51-6’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Coleus (Coleus scutellarioides) plant named ‘UF18-51-6’, selected for having a combination of desirable traits that make it well-suited for good performance as an annual plant in the summer landscape. ‘UF18-51-6’ has large leaves that are predominantly deep purple, with contrasting pink centers, and well-defined yellow green leaf margins. ‘UF18-51-6’ maintains these colors in a broad range of environmental conditions, and it has received superior ratings in both sun and shade trials. It is upright and compact in habit, but it is highly branched and uniform in shape, and grows wider than it does tall. This allows the plant to have high utility for use in any part of the garden landscape.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Coleus scutellarioides plant named ‘UF18-51-6’ as shown and described herein.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) This new Coleus culver ‘UF18-51-6’ is illustrated by the accompanying photographs, which show the plant's form and foliage. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. FIGS. 2 and 3 were taken from plants grown nine weeks from unrooted cuttings in September-November 2021 in a glass-covered greenhouse in Gainesville, Fla.

(2) FIG. 1 shows the pedigree of the claimed plant;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the growth habit, form, and foliage of the claimed plant; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of the foliage of the claimed plant

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CULTIVAR

(5) Foliage color was determined using The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), 2007 (5.sup.th Edition) under full sun conditions in the middle of the day in a glass-covered greenhouse. Coleus leaves are rarely one solid color but encompass hues, shades and tints, and color patterns differ from one genotype to another due to varying levels of variegation.

DESCRIPTION OF GROWING CONDITIONS

(6) The detailed description below was generated using nine-week-old plants of the new cultivar ‘UF18-51-6’ (from the time the cutting was harvested and stuck) pinched once at four weeks after stick and grown in a poly-covered greenhouse in September-November 2021 in Gainesville, Fla.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(7) Botanical classification: Family.—Lamiaceae. Botanical name.—Coleus scutellarioides. Common name.—Coleus. Cultivar.—‘UF18-51-6’. Parentage: Female or seed parent.—‘UF16-26-10’. Male or pollen parent.—Unknown. Plant description: Growth habit.—Upright and compact. Plant height (from top of soil).—30-35 cm. Plant width (horizontal plant diameter).—55-50 cm. Propagation: Type cuttings.—Vegetative meristem tip cuttings having at least 1 node. Time to initiate roots.—3-4 days. Time to produce a rooted cutting.—7-10 days. Roots: Rooting habit.—Fibrous. Root description.—Callus forms in 2-3 days, roots initiate in 3-4 days and become a highly branched cutting in 7-10 days. Branches: Quantity per plant.—6. Branch color.—RHS 143C (strong yellow green). Texture.—Smooth. Pubescence.—Not present. Stem description.—Square-shaped stem, 1.0 cm in diameter at the soil line. Branch diameter.—0.6-0.8 cm at the base of a 28 cm long branch. Branch length.—28-30 cm. Internode length.—4.0-4.5 cm. Anthocyanin.—Not present. Foliage description: Quantity of leaves per branch.—18. Arrangement.—Opposite. Fragrance.—Not fragrant. Shape.—Ovate. Length.—11-12 cm. Width.—10-11 cm. Apex.—Broadly acuminate. Base.—Attenuate. Margin.—Lobed. Leaf texture (both surfaces).—Smooth. Pubescence.—Not present. Venation color.—Upper surface, proximal (base): RHS N186C (dark greyish red). Upper surface, distal (tip): RHS 145C (light yellow green). Lower surface: RHS 145C (light yellow green). Venation pattern.—Upper surface: Reticulate. Lower surface: Reticulate. Color, immature leaf.—Upper surface, base: RHS 166A (greyish brown). Upper surface, center: RHS 181B (moderate red). Upper surface, margin: RHS 143A (strong yellow green). Lower surface, base: RHS 143A (strong yellow green). Lower surface, center: RHS 196A (greyish yellow green). Lower surface, margin: RHS N186A (dark purplish grey). Color, mature leaf.—Upper surface, base: RHS N186A (dark purplish grey). Upper surface, center: RHS 186B (moderate purplish red). Upper surface, margin: RHS 143A (strong yellow green). Lower surface, base: RHS 146A (moderate olive green). Lower surface, center: RHS 145C (light yellow green). Lower surface, margin: RHS N186D (dark purplish red). Petiole length.—4-5 cm. Petiole diameter: 0.3-0.4 cm. Petiole color: RHS 143C (strong yellow green). Petiole texture: Smooth, no pubescence. Flowers and seeds: Flowers and seeds have not been observed. Fruit/seed set: Fruit/seed not observed. Disease and insect resistance: Disease and insect resistance is typical of the species, thus no claims are made of any superior disease or insect resistance with this cultivar. The most common insect pests observed on this plant in Gainesville, Fla. have been long-tailed or citrus mealybugs (Pseudococcus sp.), which occur on older stock plant material held in the greenhouse for over 3-4 months. Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (Bunyaviridae) has also been observed in plants confined in greenhouses with mixed crops (peppers) infected with Western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis). The most common pathogen of this species in the U.S. is downy mildew (Peronospora lamii). This pathogen has been observed in stock materials grown closely together in cooler growing seasons.

COMPARISON WITH KNOWN CULTIVARS

(8) Plants of the new Coleus cultivar ‘UF18-51-6’ can be compared to those of ‘UF13-48-27’ (sold commercially under the trade name FRENCH QUARTER™, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,517). The base color on the upper surface of mature leaves of ‘UF18-51-6’ is RHS N186A (dark purplish grey), the center color is RHS 186B (moderate purplish red), and the margin color is RHS 143A (strong yellow green). In contrast, the base color on the upper surface of mature leaves of ‘UF13-48-27’ is RHS 2D (yellowish green), the center color is RHS 60D (purplish red) with RHS N186C (purplish pink) and the margin color is RHS N144A (yellowish green). Additionally, ‘UF18-51-6’ has thicker stems (1.0 cm in diameter), whereas ‘UF13-48-27’ has thinner stems (0.6 cm in diameter).