Mecardonia plant named ‘INTAMEC003’

Abstract

A Mecardonia plant particularly distinguished by having yellow flower color, a very compact plant growth habit, and large leaves, is disclosed.

Claims

1. A new and distinct variety of Mecardonia plant as shown and described herein.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

(1) This Mecardonia plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs which show the plant's overall plant habit including form, foliage, and flowers. The photographs are of a four-month-old plant grown from stick date in Salinas, Calif. under greenhouse conditions in 2017. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

(2) FIG. 1 shows the overall plant habit of the plant grown in a pot.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the mature inflorescence of the plant.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

(4) The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of INTAMEC003. The data which define these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Salinas, Calif. Data was collected on four-month-old plants from stick date grown under greenhouse conditions in Salinas, Calif. in 2017. Color references are to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), 4.sup.th edition (2001). Classification: Family.Plantaginaceae. Botanical.Mecardonia procumbens. Common.Mecardonia, axilflower. Designation.INTAMEC003. Parentage: Female parent.A wild access of Mecardonia procumbens var. flagellaris (unpatented). Male parent.Proprietary Mecardonia line AM5-264 (unpatented). Growth: Time to produce a rooted cutting.About 6 weeks. The terminal 1.0 to 1.5 inches of an actively growing stem was excised. The vegetative cuttings were propagated in five to six weeks. The base of the cuttings were dipped for 1 to 2 seconds in a 1:9 solution of DIP 'N GROW (1 solution:9 water) root inducing solution immediately prior to sticking into the cell trays. Cuttings were stuck into plastic cell trays having 98 cells, and containing a moistened peat moss-based growing medium. The cuttings were misted with water from overhead for 10 seconds every 30 minutes until sufficient roots were formed. Rooted cuttings were transplanted and grown in 20 cm diameter plastic pots in a glass greenhouse located in Salinas, Calif. Pots contained a peat moss-based growing medium. Soluble fertilizer containing 20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 20% potassium was applied once a day or every other day by overhead irrigation. Pots were top-dressed with a dry, slow release fertilizer containing 20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 18% potassium. The typical average air temperature was 24 C. Plant description: Habit.Compact. Height.10.0 cm from soil line to top of foliage. Spread.22.0 cm. Life cycle.Tender perennial. Form.Domed, moderately dense. Time to bloom from propagation.10 weeks. Flowering requirements.Will flower so long as day length is greater than 12 hours and temperature exceeds 13 C. Resistance/susceptibility.None observed. Not known to have resistance to pathogens and pests common to Mecardonia plants. Branches: Branch color.RHS 146B (Yellow-Green). Anthocyanin color.Absent. Surface texture.Glabrous; pubescence absent. Branch description.Dull, circular cross-section. Branch strength.Moderate. Branch diameter.1.0 mm. Branch length.8.0 cm. Internode length.7.0 mm to 9.0 mm. Leaves: Arrangement.Opposite, simple. Shape.Elliptic. Tip.Acute. Base.Attenuate. Margin.Serrate. Attachment.Decurrent. Surface texture.Smooth, glabrous (upper and lower). Length.1.1 cm. Width.0.4 cm. Color.Upper surface: RHS 147A (Yellow-Green). Lower surface: RHS 136B (Yellow-Green). Fragrance.Absent. Surface pubescence.Absent. Petiole.Length: 1.5 mm. Diameter: 1.0 mm. Color: Closest to RHS 147B (Yellow-Green) (upper and lower surface). Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern.Pinnate. Venation color.Closest to RHS 146C (Yellow-Green) (upper and lower). Flowers: Inflorescence type.Solitary axillary flowers that face mostly upward to outwardly; freely flowering with approximately 250 to 300 flowers open at a given time; composed of 4 fused petals. Blooming season.Spring to Fall. Flower diameter.1.6 cm. Flower depth.0.9 cm. Flowering habit.Indeterminate. Duration of flower life.5 days. Flower corolla arrangement.Bilabiate corolla with one upper petal lobe, three lower petal lobes, and a corolla tube. Fragrance.Absent. Flower shape.Ovate. Corolla lobe arrangement.Mostly open, but some touching and slightly overlapping. Petal lobes.Texture: Smooth, glabrous, upper petal lobe with tiny hairs at base. Shape: Ovate. Length: 0.8 cm. Width: 0.7 cm. Apex: Rounded to emarginate, cleaved. Margin: Entire. Color: Upper petal lobe (both upper and lower surfaces): Closest to RHS 9A (Yellow) with veins of RHS 187A (Greyed-Purple); veins have moderate to weak conspicuousness. Lower petal lobes: Upper surface is closest to RHS 5B (Yellow) with veins of RHS N187A (Greyed-Purple); lower surface is closest to RHS 8B (Yellow). Corolla tube: Length: 0.5 cm. Color, both inner and outer surfaces: RHS 9A (Yellow) with RHS 187A (Greyed-purple) veins. Sepal.Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Base: Truncate. Texture: Smooth and glabrous for both upper and lower surfaces. Color: RHS 144A (Yellow-Green) for both upper and lower surfaces. Length: 5.5 mm. Diameter: 2.5 mm. Average number of sepals per flower: 5. Peduncle.Length: 2.2 cm. Diameter: 0.5 mm. Color: RHS 144A (Yellow-Green). Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Strength: Moderately strong, wire-like. Reproductive organs: Ovary color.RHS N144C (Yellow-Green). Pistil number.1 per inflorescence. Pistil length.3.0 mm. Stigma shape.Oval. Stigma color.RHS N144C (Yellow-Green). Style length.1.0 mm. Stamens number.4, free. Filament length.Greater than 1.0 mm. Filament color.RHS 144D (Yellow-Green). Anther shape.Oval, bi-lobed. Anther length.0.2 mm. Anther color.RHS 144A (Yellow-Green). Pollen amount.Abundant. Pollen color.RHS 155D (White). Seed production.Absent.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL LINES AND KNOWN VARIETY

(5) INTAMEC003 is distinguished from its parents as shown in Table 1 below:

(6) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Comparison with Parental Lines Female parent, Male parent Characteristic INTAMEC003 wild line AM5-264 Flower color Yellow Yellow Yellow Plant growth habit Compact Upright Compact/creeping Leaf size Large Large Small

(7) INTAMEC003 is most similar to the commercial Mecardonia variety SAKMEC002 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,515); however there are differences as described in Table 2 below.

(8) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Comparison with Similar Variety Characteristic INTAMEC003 SAKMEC002 Petal lobe color Lower petal lobes, upper surface: Closest to RHS Closest to RHS 5B (Yellow) 9A (Yellow) with veins of RHS Ni with upper petal 87A (Greyed-Purple) having veins of Upper petal lobe, upper surface: RHS N186A Closest to RHS 9A (Yellow) (Greyed-Purple) with veins of RHS 187A (Greyed-Purple) Flower size 1.6 cm 1.5 cm (diameter) Plant growth habit Very Compact Compact, freely branching Earliness to flower Extra-early Extra-early