<i>Miscanthus </i>plant named ‘NCMS3’

Abstract

‘NCMS3’ is a new cultivar of Miscanthus sinensis particularly distinguished by its triploid cytotype, low female fertility, and attractive variegated foliage and showy inflorescences. ‘NCMS3’ provides an attractive and highly infertile alternative to diploid cultivars where reseeding and naturalization is a concern.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Miscanthus sinensis plant named ‘NCMS3’ as illustrated and described herein.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

(1) ‘NCMS3’ is illustrated by the accompanying photographs which show the plant's form, foliage and inflorescences. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. 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 Miscanthus.

(2) FIG. 1 is a color photograph showing the form and flowers on a 5-year-old field-grown plant of ‘NCMS3’ in the fall of 2021 in West Grove, Pa.

(3) FIG. 2 is a color photograph showing a detailed view of the variegation on a 5-year-old field-grown plant of ‘NCMS3’ in the summer of 2021 in West Grove, Pa.

(4) FIG. 3 is a color photograph showing a detailed view of the inflorescences of ‘NCMS3’ on a 5-year-old field grown plant in the fall of 2021 in West Grove, Pa.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(5) The following is a detailed description of the botanical characteristics of the new and distinct Miscanthus cultivar known by the denomination ‘NCMS3’. The detailed description was taken on a 4-year-old plant container-grown plant in Mills River, N.C., in 2021. All colors cited herein refer to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), Sixth Edition). Where specific dimensions, sizes, colors and other characteristics are given, it is to be understood that such characteristics are approximations or averages set forth as accurately as possible. Classification: Botanical name.—Miscanthus sinensis. Common name.—Maiden grass. Parentage: Female parent.—Tetraploid Miscanthus sinensis (H2011-196-001) derived from open-pollinated seed of Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’. Male parent.—Diploid Miscanthus sinensis H2007-097-003. Plant description: Growth habit.—Clump-forming grass with upright culms and arching leaf blades. Mature height of foliage.—About 125 cm to about 175 cm. Mature height including inflorescences.—About 200 cm to about 225 cm. Mature width.—About 100 cm. Average number of culms per clump.—15. Culms (stems): Shape.—Cylindrical. Aspect.—Erect and rigid, all extending from base, non-cascading. Mature height (not including inflorescence).—About 125 to about 175 cm. Width.—Avg 0.4 cm (about 0.3 cm to 0.6 cm). Color.—Moderate Yellowish Green (RHS 138A). Texture.—Glabrous. Internode length.—Avg. 6.0 cm (about 3 cm to 15 cm). Leaves: Type.—Simple, consisting of a leaf sheath, clasping the culm, and a leaf blade, diverging from the culm at a 30-degree angle. Persistence.—Leaves desiccate after freezing, but remain attached to the culm through winter. Arrangement.—Alternate. Number.—About 8 to about 12 per culm. Shape.—Linear. Venation.—Parallel with recessed midrib. Vein color.—Moderate Olive Green (RHS 137B). Leaf sheath.—Mature length: About 30 cm (about 20 cm to about 40 cm). Width: About 1.0 cm. Color: Moderate Olive Green (RHS 137B). Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Attachment: Leaf sheath attaches to the culm at a node. Ligule: Membrane-like tissue at the junction of the leaf sheath and leaf blade. Ligule length: About 0.2 cm. Ligule width: About 0.5 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Leaf blade.—Mature leaf length: Avg. 50.0 cm about (about 20 cm to about 70 cm). Mature leaf width: Avg. 0.6 cm (about 0.3 cm to about 0.8 cm). Emerging leaf color.—Upper surface: Moderate Olive Green (RHS 137B) with horizontal bands of Light Greenish Yellow (RHS 6D). Yellow bands are an average of 0.8 cm in length (0.5 to 1.0 cm), extend the width of the leaf blade and are at intervals of 2.5 cm (1 to 8 cm) along the leaf blade. Lower surface: Moderate Yellow Green (RHS 137C) with horizontal bands of Light Greenish Yellow (RHS 6D). Yellow bands are an average of 0.8 cm in length (0.5 to 1.0 cm), extend the width of the leaf blade and are at intervals of 2.5 cm (1 to 8 cm) along the leaf blade. Leaf color.—Upper surface: Moderate Olive Green (RHS 137B) with horizontal bands of Light Greenish Yellow (RHS 6D). Yellow bands are an average of 0.8 cm in length (about 0.5 cm to about 1.0 cm), extend the width of the leaf blade and are at intervals of 2.5 cm (about 1 cm to about 8 cm) along the leaf blade. Lower surface: Moderate Yellow Green (RHS 137C) with horizontal bands of Light Greenish Yellow (RHS 6D). Yellow bands are an average of 0.8 cm in length (about 0.5 cm to about 1.0 cm), extend the width of the leaf blade and are at intervals of 2.5 cm (about 1 to about 8 cm) along the leaf blade. Winter leaf color, both upper and lower surface.—Light Yellowish Brown (RHS 199C). Leaf texture.—Pubescent. Leaf apex.—Acuminate. Leaf margins.—Finely serrulate. Leaf attachment.—Leaf blade attaches to the leaf sheath at the ligule. Inflorescences: Description.—Terminal panicle composed of cascading racemes at anthesis. Flowering season.—Late August through September in Mills River, N.C. Panicle.—Number per plant: More than 50. Length: About 25 cm. Width: About 15 cm. Raceme.—Number per panicle: About 25. Length: About 20 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Spikelet.—Number per raceme: About 60. Length: About 0.4 cm. Width: About 0.1 cm. Color.—Yellowish White (RHS 158D). Base.—With fine White (RHS NN155C) hairs, about 0.7 cm in length. Awn: Length: About 0.9 cm. Width: Less than 0.1 cm. Lemma.—Length: About 0.5 to 0.6 cm. Width: About 0.1 cm. Color: Light Yellow (RHS 163D). Palea.—Length: About 0.4 to 0.5 cm. Width: About 0.1 cm. Color: Translucent. Glume.—Length: Less than 0.4 cm. Width: Less than 0.1 cm. Color: Translucent. Reproductive organs.— Androecium.—Anthers: 3. Length: About 0.2 cm. Width: Less than 0.1 cm. Color: Light Yellow (RHS 162C). Pollen: Present. Gynoecium.— Pistil.—1. Stigmas.—2. Length.—About 0.2 cm. Width.—Less than 0.1 cm. Color.—Dark Purplish Grey (RHS N186A). Ovary.—1 locule, superior. Disease and insect resistance: No significant disease or insect pests have been observed. Cold hardiness: At least USDA zone 5; testing has not been completed in colder zones. Fertility: In controlled crosses under greenhouse conditions with Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’ and ‘Gracillimus’ (not patented), ‘NCSM3’ (H2015-079-005) had greatly reduced female fertility (Table 1).

(6) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Comparison of female fertility between the diploid cultivars ‘Zebrinus’ and ‘Gracillimus’ and the triploid cultivar ‘NCMS3’ (H2015-079-005). Germination Overall Relative Cultivar Seed Set (%) (%) Fertility (%) fertility (%) ‘Zebrinus’ 93.3 92 85.8 100 ‘Gracillimus’ 75.2 97 72.9 85 H2015-079-005 7.7 35.6 2.74 3 (‘NCMS3’) Fertility was determined by intercrossing all three cultivars in a common greenhouse with plants arranged in a completely randomized design with 3 plant replicates per cultivar. Seed set (%) = (number of seeds/number of florets) × 100; germination (%) = (seeds germinated/total seeds) × 100; overall fertility = seed set (%) × germination (%)/100; and relative fertility = [overall fertility/85.8 (control value)]× 100.

(7) As shown in Table 1, ‘NSMS3’ provides an attractive and highly infertile (97% reduction in female fertility) alternative to diploid cultivars where reseeding and naturalization is a concern. (See Rounsaville et al., 2011)

COMPARISON WITH COMMERCIAL CULTIVARS

(8) ‘NCMS3’ is distinguished from other cultivars as it is an autotriploid of Miscanthus sinensis and has reduced fertility (Table 1). In comparison to ‘Zebrinus’ and ‘Strictus’ (not patented), ‘NCMS3’ is triploid while ‘Zebrinus’ and ‘Strictus’ are diploid. In comparison to ‘NCMS1’, ‘NCMS3’ has variegated foliage. In comparison to ‘NCMS2B’, ‘NCMS3’ is taller with and without inflorescences.

(9) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Comparison of ‘NCMS3’ with other Miscanthus cultivars. ‘NCMS1’ My Fair ‘NCMS2B’ Maiden ™ Bandwidth (U.S. Plant (U.S. Plant Pat. No. Pat. No. ‘NCMS3’ 26,387) 29,460) ‘Zebrinus’ ‘Strictus’ Cytotype 3× 3× 3× 2× 2× 2C relative −5.9 pg −5.9 pg −5.9 pg −4.1 pg −4.1 pg genome size Fertility low low no fertile fertile fertile fertility fertility seed (97% (99% production reduction reduction observed in female in female compared fertility fertility to compared compared ‘Zebrinus’ to to ‘Zebrinus’) ‘Zebrinus’) Height of 1.25 to 1.8 m 0.6 to 0.9 m 1.5 m 1.5 m foliage 1.75m Height 2.0 to 2.25 2.7 m 0.9 to 1.2 m 2.4 m 2.4 m with m inflores- cences Varie- hori- none hori- hori- hori- gation zontal zontal zontal zontal banding banding banding banding Cytotypes and 2C relative genome size were determined folowing methods provided by Rounsaville et al., 2011.

CITATIONS

(10) Rounsaville, T. J., D. H. Touchell, and T. G. Ranney. 2011. Fertility and reproductive pathways in diploid and triploid Miscanthus sinensis. Hortscience 46(10):1353-1357.