Poinsettia plant named ‘Rockette Dark Red’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named Rockette Dark Red, characterized by its upright to slightly outwardly and uniformly mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit; freely and upright to slightly outwardly branching habit; strong lateral branches; strong and narrowly upright v-shape branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; numerous upright flower bracts that are deep red in color; prominent, large and dense cyathia clusters; and good post-production longevity.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Poinsettia plant named Rockette Dark Red as illustrated and described.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

(1) The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. 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 Poinsettia plant.

(2) The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of Rockette Dark Red grown in a container.

(3) The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of Rockette Dark Red.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(4) Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and in the following detailed description were grown during the summer, autumn and winter in 15.24 cm containers in glass and polyethylene-covered greenhouses in Center Moriches, New York under natural season conditions and cultural practices typical of commercial Poinsettia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 21? C.to 32? C. and night temperatures ranged from 18? C. to 23? C. Plants were pinched one time and were six months from unrooted cuttings when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. Rockette Dark Red. Parentage: Female, or seed, parent.Proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number EPD3-002, not patented. Male, or pollen, parent.Proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number EPS-001, not patented. Propagation: Type.Terminal vegetative cuttings. Time to initiate roots, summer.About 10 to 14 days at ambient daytime temperatures about 27? C. to 29? C.; ambient nighttime temperatures about 21? C. to 24? C.; and soil temperatures about 20? C. to 22? C. Time to initiate roots, winter.About 10 to 14 days at ambient daytime temperatures about 21? C. to 22? C.; ambient nighttime temperatures about 20? C. to 24? C.; and soil temperatures about 20? C. to 21? C. Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.About 28 to 35 days at ambient daytime temperatures about 27? C. to 29? C.; ambient nighttime temperatures about 21? C. to 24? C.; and soil temperatures about 20? C. to 21? C. Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.About 35 to 40 days at ambient daytime temperatures about 21? C. to 22? C.; ambient nighttime temperatures about 20? C. to 21? C.; and soil temperatures about 20? C. to 21? C. Root description.Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of roots. Rooting habit.Freely branching; medium density. Plant description: Plant and growth habit.Upright to slightly outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; broad inverted triangle; inflorescences with numerous flower bracts positioned above the foliar plane; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate. Plant height.About 29 cm to 32 cm. Plant diameter or spread.About 39 cm to 41 cm. Lateral branch description.Branching habit: Freely branching habit, about eight to eleven lateral branches develop after pinching; upright to slightly outwardly branching habit; strong and narrowly upright v-shaped branching habit. Length: About 24 cm to 26 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm to 10 mm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm to 1.75 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 30? to 45? from vertical. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color: Close to between 146A and 147A; if sclerified, close to 199B to 199D. Leaf description.Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 12 cm to 14 cm. Width: About 7 cm to 9 cm. Shape: Ovate, not lobed. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Truncate with cordate or hastate tendencies. Margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Aspect: Mostly upright to horizontal and eventually slightly downward with subsequent development. Texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; velvety; slightly glossy. Texture and luster, lower surface: Prominent venation, glabrous; slightly glossy. Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Darker green than 147A to close to between 147A and N189A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Darker green than 147B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N189A to darker green than N189A; midvein, close to 146A variable overlain with close to 59A, and lateral venation, indistinguishable from lamina color. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to between 147B and 147A; midvein, close to 146A variably overlain with close to 59A, and lateral venation, indistinguishable from lamina color. Leaf petioles: Length: About 5 cm to 7 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; moderately glossy. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 59A. Inflorescence description: Inflorescence type and habit.Terminal inflorescences are compound corymbs of cyathia with numerous colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia; inflorescences uniformly positioned above the foliar plane. Fragrance.None detected. Flowering response.Under natural season conditions, plants typically flower about 8.5 weeks after planting rooted cuttings in Center Moriches, New York. Post-production longevity.Good post-production longevity; plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good substance and flower bract color for about five to six weeks under interior conditions, temperature-dependent; flower bracts persistent and cyathia not persistent. Inflorescence diameter.About 22 cm to 24 cm. Inflorescence height (depth).About 9 cm to 11 cm. Flower bracts.Quantity per inflorescence: About 24 to 28. Length, largest bracts: About 12 cm to 13 cm. Width, largest bracts: About 7.5 cm to 8 cm. Shape: Ovate, not lobed. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire; somewhat undulate. Aspect: Upright to about 45? from vertical. Texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; velvety; slightly glossy. Texture and luster, lower surface: Rugose with prominent venation, glabrous; somewhat velvety; matte. Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing and fully developed bracts, upper surface: Close to 53A; midvein, close to 59A, lateral venation, indistinguishable from lamina color; color does not change with subsequent development. Developing and fully developed bracts, lower surface: Close to N45A; midvein, close to 59A, lateral venation, close to 59B; color does not change with subsequent development. Bract petioles: Length: About 2.2 cm to 2.4 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; moderately glossy. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 59A. Cyathia.Quantity per corymb: About 12 to 16; relatively large, dense and prominent. Length: About 1 cm to 1.1 cm. Width: About 4.5 mm to 4 mm. Shape: Narrowly ovoid. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color, immature: Close to 144A. Color, mature: Close to 146A. Nectaries.Quantity per cyathium: Typically one. Length: About 6 mm to 7 mm. Width: About 3.5 mm to 4 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color, inner and outer surfaces: Close to 12A and 13A. Peduncles.Length: About 2 mm to 2.5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright to slightly outwardly. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color: Close to 144A. Reproductive organs.Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: About 12 to 16. Filament length: About 6.5 mm. Filament color: Close to 59A. Anther shape: Round to oval; bi-lobed. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 59A. Amount of pollen: None observed. Pistils: Quantity per cyathium: One; tri-parted. Pistil length: About 9 mm to 10 mm. Style length: About 8 mm. Style color: Close to 59A. Stigma shape: Three-parted, globular. Stigma color: Close to 59A. Ovary color: Close to 144C to 144D. Seeds and fruits.To date, seed and fruit production have not been observed on plants of the new Poinsettia. Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Poinsettia have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Poinsettia plants.