Grass named ‘Cinnamon Girl’

Abstract

The new variety Schizachyrium scoparium Cinnamon Girl is tough, adaptable, and drought tolerant; with foliage that is red, purple and green from May to September; with a narrow upright and rounded growth habit; and with foliage that tends to cascade. The asexually reproduced variety is reliably propagated vegetatively.

Claims

1. A new and distinct variety of the Schizachyrium plant named Cinnamon Girl as herein illustrated and described.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of the new variety of Schizachyrium scoparium Cinnamon Girl. The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the photographic and printing technology utilized.

(2) FIG. 1 is a photograph of a plant of the new variety Cinnamon Girl taken on May 26, 2015 in Griffin, Ga.

(3) FIGS. 2 and 3 are, respectively, photographs of a Carousel plant (FIG. 2) and of a MinnblueA plant (FIG. 3), taken on May 26, 2015 in Griffin, Ga.

(4) FIGS. 4 and 5 are photographs of a Cinnamon Girl plant taken on Jun. 8, 2012 in Griffin, Ga.; with FIG. 5 being an enlarged view.

(5) FIGS. 6 and 7 are, respectively, photographs of a Carousel plant (FIG. 6) and a MinnblueA plant (FIG. 7) taken on Jun. 8, 2012 in Griffin, Ga.

(6) FIGS. 8 and 9 are, respectively, photographs of a Cinnamon Girl plant taken on Jul. 1, 2015, in Griffin, Ga.; with FIG. 9 being an enlarged view.

(7) FIGS. 10 and 11 are, respectively, photographs of a Carousel plant (FIG. 10) and a MinnblueA plant (FIG. 11) taken on Jul. 1, 2015, in Griffin, Ga.

(8) FIGS. 12 and 13 are photographs of a Cinnamon Girl plant taken on Aug. 22, 2012 in Griffin, Ga.; with FIG. 13 being an enlarged view.

(9) FIGS. 14 and 15, respectively, are photographs of Carousel (FIG. 14) and MinnblueA (FIG. 15) plants, taken on Aug. 22, 2012, in Griffin, Ga.

(10) FIGS. 16 and 17 are photographs of a Cinnamon Girl plant taken on Sep. 10, 2014, in Griffin, Ga.; with FIG. 17 being an enlarged view.

(11) FIGS. 18 and 19 are, respectively, photographs of Carousel (FIG. 18) and MinnblueA (FIG. 19) plants, taken Sep. 10, 2014, in Griffin, Ga.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(12) The new variety Cinnamon Girl is a perennial at Griffin, Ga. (USDA Zone 7b). The new variety Cinnamon Girl blooms from mid to late August. Cinnamon Girl is drought tolerant and expected to be able to be grown in USDA Zones 3-9. Cinnamon Girl grows well in full sun and in most soils. Cinnamon Girl is genetically stable and has been propagated by root division. The reproductive organs of the new variety Cinnamon Girl are very small, fleeting or scarce in presence and therefore difficult to describe.

(13) All data are from four-year-old field-grown plants established as single stem propagules in May 2011, in Griffin, Ga. Three replicated plants were grown in a randomized block design. Plant: Mature plant height.Approximately 94 to 123 cm. Diameter of plant canopy.Approximately 33 to 48 cm. Foliage height.Approximately 48 to 50 cm. Leaf: Leaf shape.Linear. Leaf division.Simple. Leaf margins.Entire. Leaf base.Sheathed to base of culm. Leaf venation.Parallel. Leaf apex.Acute. Leaf arrangement.Alternate, 2-ranked. Leaf collar type.Continuous. Leaf persistence.Dries but persistent through winter. Leaf attachment.Sheathed, 1 mm wide membranous ligule. Leaf width.Approximately 4.4 mm at base and 4.6 mm on blade. Leaf length.Approximately 25 cm. Leaf number.5 to 10 leaves per culm. Leaf surface.Strigillose, not waxy, with villous sheathes. Adaxial leaf surface trichomes.None. Abaxial leaf surface trichomes.None. Sheath trichomes.None. Adaxial leaf color.Early Summer: Green 138A, Purple N79C or Greyed-Purple 187A. Mid-Summer: Basal portion of the leaf is Green 137C, 138A or 138B, changing to Greyed-Purple N186C, or 187A on the distal portion. Late Summer (displays a mix of color types): Yellow-Green 144A changing to Red-Purple 60C, or Red-Purple 59A, Greyed-Purple 187B, or Greyed-Purple 183C, or Yellow-Green 144A. Early Fall: Green 138B changing to Greyed-Purple 187A, or Greyed-Purple 187A, or Green 138A. Abaxial leaf color.Early Summer: Green 138B or Mid-Summer: Green 138B. Later Summer (displays a mix of color type): Green 143B, or Greyed-Orange 176A, or Greyed-Purple 183D, Greyed-Purple 183D, or Yellow-Green 144A. Early Fall: Greyed-Green 191A changing to Greyed-Purple 183D, or Greyed-Red 182B, or Green 138A. Flower: Blooming period.Mid to late August in Griffin, Ga. with multiple racemes present per flower culm. Inflorescence.Yes. Inflorescence type.Racemes at terminus and nodes. Inflorescence size.2 to 5 cm in length, 0.5 cm in diameter. Inflorescence color.Red-Purple 59B. Spikelet number.5 to 8 per raceme. Spikelet size.3 to 4 cm long and with an internode distance of 1 to 2 cm. Spikelet arrangement.Alternately on the rachis. Spikelet hairs.Approximately 1 mm long, White N155D with a fluffy texture. Glumes.Average of 5 mm long by 1 mm wide. Palea.2 mm long and less than 1 mm wide. Peduncle.1 to 9 cm long and 0.5 mm diameter. Peduncle color.Greyed-Orange 174A. Culm: General.Flat, solid. Stem surface.Strigillose, less toward the base, becoming more numerous on the blade. Pith.1 mm wide, Yellow-Green 153C. Culm color.Red-Purple 70C toward the base, changing to Yellow-Green 145A. Culm size.5 mm diameter and 6 to 8 cm in length before the blade emerges; at blooming, up to 123 cm from the base to the tip of the flower panicle. Internode length.9 cm.