Mandarin plant named ‘Mikanken16’

Abstract

A new variety of Citrus Mikanken16 that has dark orange fruit color, no seeds, high juiciness, orange-like flavor, ease of peeling the fruit by hand, good appearance and good tasting qualities.

Claims

1. A new and distinct variety of Citrus plant named Mikanken16, substantially as described and illustrated herein.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the accompanying drawings, which are as nearly true as is reasonable possible to make in a color illustration of this type:

(2) FIG. 1 is a color photograph showing a general view of an illustrative mandarin tree of the variety named Mikanken16 bearing fruits.

(3) FIG. 2 is a color photograph showing flowers of Mikanken16.

(4) FIG. 3 is a color photograph showing leaves of Mikanken16, together with leaves of comparative varieties Kiyomi, and Shiranuhi.

(5) FIG. 4 is a color photograph showing fruits of Mikanken16.

(6) FIG. 5 is a color photograph showing leaves of Mikanken16, together with leaves of female parent Mikanken4, illustrating the difference between the leaf blades, in that the leave blades of Mikanken16 have absent emargination at the tip instead of present emargination at the tip for Mikanken4.

(7) FIG. 6 is a color photograph showing fruits of Mikanken16, together with fruits of comparative variety Kiyomi, illustrating the difference between the fruit surface predominant colors, in that the fruit surface predominant color of Mikanken16 is dark orange (JHS color chart No. 1306) instead of medium orange (JHS color chart No. 1605) for Kiyomi, and the difference between the fruit surface roughnesses, in that the fruit surface roughness of Mikanken16 is medium instead of smooth to medium for the fruit of Kiyomi.

(8) FIG. 7 is a color photograph showing the transverse section of a fruit of Mikanken16 together with a fruit of female parent Mikanken4, illustrating the difference between the filling of the core, in that the fruit of Mikanken16 has medium filling of the core, instead of absent or very sparse filling of the core for the fruit of Mikanken4.

(9) Due to chemical and/or digital development, processing and printing, the plants or portions of plants depicted in the photographs may or may not be precisely accurate, when compared to the actual botanical specimens.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) Table 3 shows the botanical description of the Mikanken16 plants evaluated in 2022 (including the comparison with the reference plants KIYOMI and SHIRANUI). Values as provided are averages. The ages of the trees evaluated was 6 years, and the location of the trees evaluated was in Uwajima, Ehime, Japan.

(11) The Mikanken16 plants shown on the photographs were grown at Uwajima, Ehime, Japan. The plants were 3-year grown trees after top grafting. The tree was photographed on Dec. 7, 2016, the flowers were photographed on May 7, 2016, the mature leaves photographed on Jul. 26, 2016 and the fruits were photographed on Mar. 23, 2017.

(12) Colors are given according to the J.H.S. (Japan Horticultural Society) Color Chart.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(13) TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Botanical description of Mikanken16 No. Characteristics States Values 1 Ploidy Diploid 2 Tree: growth habit Spreading 3 Tree's vigor Strong 4 Tree's density of canopy Medium 5 Tree's mature height 2.75 m 6 Tree's mature spread 2.95 m 7 Tree's trunk diameter at a 52.3 mm specified height above ground at 10 cm above grafting area 8 Tree's bark texture Rough 9 Tree's bark color Green brown JHS color chart No. 2509 10 Branch length 12.6 cm 11 Branch diameter 2.8 mm 12 Branch crotch angle 50 13 Branch bark texture Smooth 14 Branch bark color Dark yellow JHS color green chart No.3508 15 Tree: density of spines Intermediate 16 Number of spines 2.1 17 Total leaf bearing nodes 6.5 18 Location of spines On branches 19 Length of spines 1.7 mm 20 Spine diameter 0.5 mm 21 Spine shape conical 22 Spine color Dark yellow JHS color green chart No. 3508 23 Leaf type Individual leaf 24 Leaf blade: length (apical leaflet Medium 7.3 cm in case of compound leaf) 25 Leaf blade: width (apical leaflet Medium 4.3 cm in case of compound leaf) 26 Leaf blade: ratio length/width Very small 1.7 (apical leaflet in case of com- pound leaf) 27 Leaf blade: shape in cross section Intermediate: (apical leaflet in case of com- curved pound leaf) inwards 28 Leaf blade: twisting Intermediate 29 Leaf blade: blistering Absent or Weak 30 Leaf blade: color Medium JHS color green chart No.3509 31 Leaf or leaflet: color of upper Dark yellow JHS color leaf surface green chart No.3509 32 Leaf or leaflet: color lower Dark yellow JHS color leaf surface green chart No.3507 33 Leaf blade: undulation of margin Absent or Weak 34 Leaf blade: incisions of margin Crenate 35 Leaf blade: shape of apex Acute 36 Leaf blade: emargination at tip Absent 37 Single or compound leaves? Single leaf 38 Base descriptor of leaf and/or Acute leaflet 39 Texture of top surface of leaf Smooth and/or leaflet 40 Texture of bottom surface of Smooth leaf and/or leaflet 41 Petiole: length Medium 1.9 cm 42 Petiole diameter 1.9 mm 43 Petiole texture (both surfaces) smooth 44 Petiole color (both surfaces) Dark yellow JHS color green chart No.3509 45 Petiole: presence of wings Present 46 Petiole wing shape Vestigial 47 Petiole wing length 8.0 mm 48 Petiole wing texture (both Smooth surfaces) 49 Petiole wing color (both sur- Upper and JHS color faces) lower: chart No. dark yellow 3508 (upper), green 3509 (lower) 50 Varieties with petiole wings Narrow 2.0 mm present only: Petiole: width of wings 51 Flower: length of petal Medium 18.4 mm 52 Flower: width of petal Very Broad 8.3 mm 53 Flower: ratio length/ width of Small 2.2 petal 54 Flower: length of stamens 10.3 mm 55 Flower depth 2.2 cm 56 Flower diameter 3.5 cm 57 Petal number per flower 5 58 Petal shape Spindle- shaped 59 Petal apex Acute to obtuse 60 Petal margin Slightly curved 61 Petal base descriptors Truncate 62 Petal color (both surfaces) White (both JHS color side) chart No. 3301 63 Sepal number per flower 5 64 Sepal shape Lanceolate 65 Sepal apex Acute 66 Sepal color (both surfaces) Light yellow JHS color green (both chart No. 3304 side) 67 Pistil number per flower 1 68 Stigma color Light yellow 69 Stigma style Round 70 Stigma length 0.2 mm 71 Stigma color Bright orange JHS color yellow chart No. 2205 72 Anther: color Medium JHS color yellow chart No. 2203 73 Anther: viable pollen Low (>14 21%) 74 Amount of pollen produced Very few 75 Infructescence: clustering of Present fruits 76 Number of fruits per cluster 1 77 Fruit: length Long 7.7 cm 78 Fruit: diameter Large 8.7 cm 79 Fruit: ratio length/diameter Medium 1.13 80 Fruit: position of broadest part At Middle 81 Fruit: shape in transverse section Circular 82 Fruit: general shape of proximal Flattened part (excluding neck, collar and depression at stalk end) 83 Fruit: presence of neck Absent 84 Fruit: presence of depression at Present stalk end 85 Fruit: depth of depression at Shallow 2.5 mm stalk end 86 Fruit: presence of constriction at Absent stalk end 87 Fruit: presence of collar Absent 88 Fruit: general shape of distal Flattened part (excluding nipple, bulging of navel and depression at distal end) 89 Fruit: presence of depression at Present distal end 90 Fruit: depth of depression at Shallow 1.7 mm distal end 91 Fruit: presence of areola Absent 92 Fruit: diameter of stylar scar Very small 1.4 mm 93 Fruit: persistence of style None 94 Fruit: presence of navel opening Absent 95 Fruit: presence of radial grooves Absent at distal end 96 Fruit: expression of radial Absent or grooves at distal end Very Weak 97 Fruit surface: predominant Dark orange JHS color color(s) chart No. 1306 98 Fruit surface: glossiness Medium 99 Fruit surface: roughness Medium 100 Fruit surface: diameter of oil All about the 1.5 mm glands same diameter 101 Fruit rind: adherence to flesh Weak 102 Fruit rind: strength Weak 103 Fruit rind: conspicuousness of Absent or oil glands on inner surface Weakly Conspicuous 104 Fruit rind thickness 3.5 mm 105 Fruit rind ease of peeling Somewhat easy 106 Fruit: color of albedo Light yellow JHS color chart No. 1905 107 Fruit: density of albedo Medium 108 Fruit: main color of flesh Dark orange JHS color chart No. 1306 109 Fruit: filling of core Medium 110 Fruit: presence of rudimentary Absent or segments Very Weak 111 Number of segments per fruit 12 112 Fruit: strength of segment walls Medium 113 Fruit; conspicuousness of juice Medium vesicle walls 114 Fruit: presence of navel (viewed Absent or internally) Very Rare 115 Fruit: juiciness High 116 Fruit juice: total soluble solids High 13.1 Brix 117 Fruit juice: acidity Medium 1.02 118 Juice sac length 8.4 mm 119 Juice sac width 2.8 mm 120 Juice color Dark orange JHS color chart No. 1306 121 Fruit: strength of fiber Medium 122 Fruit: number of seeds (con- Absent or 0 trolled manual self-pollination) Very Few 123 Fruit: number of seeds (open Absent or 0 pollination) Very Few 124 Fruit weight 233.21 g 125 Fruit productivity: amount of 35 kg/ fruit produced per tree per tree season 126 Seed: polyembryony Absent 127 Time of maturity of fruit for Medium to April consumption Late 128 Fruit: parthenocarpy Present 129 Plant: self-incompatibility Present

(14) Other features of the plant are as follows: Disease and pest resistance: Normal resistance was observed for pests and diseases in Uwajima, Ehime, Japan. Tree hardiness: USDA Hardiness Zone 9a-9b (until 3 C.). Fruit shipability: Medium. Fruit storageability: Medium.