Dianthus plant named ‘Paint the Town Magenta’

Abstract

A new and unique plant cultivar of perennial carnation or pinks, Dianthus plant named Paint the Town Magenta with numerous, single, fragrant flowers in a strong flush in late spring and continuing until mid-fall of fringed vibrant magenta petals, over finely-textured bluish-green foliage. Dianthus Paint the Town Magenta has vigorous compact habit, is tolerant of high temperatures, resists center die-out and does not require vernalization for effective flowering.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Dianthus plant named Paint the Town Magenta essentially as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The photographs of the Dianthus Paint the Town Magenta demonstrate the overall appearance, including the unique traits, of a two-year-old plant in a full-sun trial garden. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with modern color reproductions. Some slight variation of color may occur as a result of lighting quality, intensity, wavelength, direction or reflection.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the flowers and buds.

(3) FIG. 2 shows the habit of the plant in early-season flowering.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

(4) The following detailed description of the new plant is based on observations of two-year-old plants in full-sun trial garden at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA with supplemental watering, light additions of fertilizer and free of pinching or plant growth regulators. All color usage is in accordance with the 2001 edition of The Royal Horticultural Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. Botanical classification: Dianthus hybrid. Parentage: Neon Star U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,549 as the female or seed parent and Kahori (not patented) as the male or pollen parent. Plant habit: Caespitose, herbaceous, evergreen perennial; erect stems and finely-branched peduncles, large number of flowers; height of foliage about 8.0 cm and about 36.0 cm across; height in flower is about 12.0 cm. Root system.Fine, fibrous; color nearest RHS 155D. Vigor.Good, spring planted plugs finish in 3.8 liter pots in seven to eight weeks. Foliage: Leaf type.Simple, linear, opposite, decussate, sessile, glabrous, glaucous on adaxial and abaxial; margin entire to microscopically serrulate; acute apex; base decurrent, adpressed along stem and slightly perfoliate; no fragrance detected. Leaf dimensions.To about 5.0 cm long and about 4.0 mm wide, average about 4.2 cm long and 4.0 mm wide. Leaf color.Young expanding leaves abaxial and adaxial nearest RHS N138A; mature adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS N138A. Venation.Not pronounced; obscurely pinnate, coloration same as that of leaf top and bottom. Stems: Beginning erect and becoming arching with development of flowers; terete, glabrous, glaucous, branching at alternate nodes; about 200 per plant. Stem size.About 16.0 cm long and about 2.5 mm diameter at base. Stem color.Nearest RHS 138A with slight glaucous bloom nearest RHS N138D. Branching.Numerous; typically alternate, from upper and lower leaf axils; about 12 per main stem; branch size average about 3.5 cm at time of initial flowering. Nodes.About 11 to 12 per stem; about 4.0 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 138B. Internodes.Average about 0.5 cm apart depending on growing temperature, shorter in cooler conditions. Inflorescence: Type.Terminal, cymose; salverform. Attitude.Upright. Dimension.About 6.0 cm above foliage. Flowers per stem.Typically one, rarely two. Pedicel.Glaucous, glabrous, terete. Pedicel size.Terminal flower variable, between about 2.8 cm and 5.0 cm long, average about 4.5 cm long and 1.1 mm diameter; other flowers average about 1.0 cm long and 1.0 mm diameter. Pedicel color.Nearest RHS 137A. Flower.Perfect; actinomophic; single; about 220 flowers per plant in peak late spring. Flower bud one day prior to opening.Glaucous, glabrous, long ellipsoid with rounded apex and rounded base. Flower bud size.One day prior to opening about 2.3 cm long and about 4.5 mm diameter in tube and 6.0 mm diameter at petals; style not protruding. Flower bud color.With petals exposed and still tight petals nearest RHS 71A. Flower period.Beginning with strong flush in late spring and continuing more sparsely through mid-fall; effective about twenty-two weeks per flowering season. Flower fragrance.Light, sweet spicy, clove-like. Flower lasting quality.About six days on or cut from plant. Petals.Glabrous except at base of limb pubescent; five per flower; consisting of a rounded blade or limb and a claw; limb and claw combined are obovate with long tapered claw; apex and margin with coarse dentations 3.0 mm deep; limb bent outwardly in distal 15.0 mm to nearly a ninety degree angle; claw tapering to attenuate base about 1.0 mm across; persistent; limbs imbricate. Petal color.Young adaxial nearest RHS 71A in limb, claw basal portion nearest RHS 155D and claw between base and limb nearest RHS 145D; young abaxial nearest RHS 64A in limb, claw base nearest RHS 145D and claw portion between base and limb nearest RHS 145C; mature adaxial limb between RHS 71A and RHS 71B, claw base nearest RHS 155D and claw between base and limb nearest RHS 145C; mature abaxial limb between RHS 64A and RHS 64B, claw base nearest RHS 145D and claw between base and limb nearest RHS 145C. Petal dimension.Average about 29.0 mm long and about 15.0 mm across at widest part of limb; claw portion average about 14.0 mm long and about 1.0 mm at base; limb portion average about 15.0 mm long and about 15.0 mm wide. Calyx.Glabrous, glaucous; margins entire; consisting of five sepals with acute apex and fused base forming five-toothed corolla tube fused in proximal about 10.0 mm; individually about 1.3 cm long and about 2.0 mm across at fusion; campanulate to about 13.0 mm long and about 4.5 mm in diameter. Calyx color.Abaxial nearest RHS 137B with slight blushing of nearest RHS 185B; adaxial nearest RHS 138C. Peduncle.Glabrous, glaucous, terete, flexible and stiff; about 4.0 cm long and about 1.2 mm diameter at base. Peduncle color.Nearest RHS 137A. Bracts.Two pair, opposite, glaucous, glabrous; sessile; margin entire, broadly obtuse to deltoid with acute apex; outer pair about 6.0 mm long and about 3.5 mm wide; inner pair about 7.0 mm long and about 4.0 mm wide. Bract color.Abaxial and adaxial nearest RHS 137A with adaxial and abaxial margin of about 1.0 mm to 1.5 mm wide nearest RHS 145D with slight tinting of nearest RHS 187B. Androecium.Typically ten, rudimentary; fused in basal phalange. Filaments: phalange about 2.0 mm long, total about 4.5 mm long; average total about 4.3 mm long and individual filament portion about 0.2 mm diameter; color phalange nearest RHS 145A and individual filament between RHS 145D and RHS 155D. Anther: typically rudimentary; flattened deltoid to ellipsoid; basifixed; about 1.0 mm long and about 0.5 mm across; color between RHS 161B and RHS161C. Pollen: not observed. Gynoecium.Style: typically split in two just above ovary. Pistil: glabrous abaxial surface and puberulent adaxial surface; curled in distal 4.0 mm; about 20.0 mm long and about 1.0 mm diameter; color adaxial nearest RHS 71A, abaxial whiter than RHS 155D proximally with distal tinting of between RHS 71A and RHS N79C. Stigma: puberulent; about 0.5 mm long and 0.5 mm wide; slightly curled; color nearest RHS N79C. Ovary: superior; ellipsoid-shaped; about 7.0 mm long and about 3.0 mm wide; color nearest RHS 146B. Fruit: Capsule; oblong ovoid to cylindrical; opening by 4 teeth; about 3.0 mm long and 2.5 mm diameter; color between RHS 164B and RHS 164C when dried. Seed: Not observed. Disease resistance: The new plant is resistance to center die out from fungus or high temperatures. The plant grows best with adequate moisture and well-drained soil, but is able to tolerate high temperatures and some drought once established. Hardiness at least from USDA zone 4 through zone 9.