<i>Ajuga </i>plant named ‘Corcan’

Abstract

A new cultivar of Ajuga plant named ‘Corcan’ that is characterized by its unique vibrant yellow colored foliage, its leaves that are very small in size, its vigorous growth habit, its cobalt blue flowers that bloom in late spring, and its stem internodes that are pink in color when young and green-yellow in color when they mature.

Claims

1. A new and distinct variety of Ajuga plant named ‘Corcan’ as described and illustrated herein.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying color photographs illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of a 2-year-old plant of the new Ajuga as grown in a greenhouse in a 1-gallon container in Hudsonville, Mich.

(2) The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a top view of ‘Corcan’ in bloom.

(3) The photograph in FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of the foliage of ‘Corcan’.

(4) The 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 Ajuga.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(5) The following is a detailed description of 6-month-old plants of the new Ajuga as grown in 4-inch containers in a greenhouse in Hudsonville, Mich. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2015 Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Blooming period.—4 to 6 weeks in late spring into summer in Michigan. Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial. Plant habit.—Dense and rounded, groundcover, compact upright inflorescences. Height and spread.—7 cm in height (soil level to top of floral plane), an average of 5 cm in height (soil level to top of foliar plane) and 9 cm in width, a mature plant in the landscape reaches an average of 10 cm in height and 46 cm in spread. Cold hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 8. Diseases and pests.—Plants have been observed to be disease free, however no resistance to any specific diseases is known, no resistance or susceptibility to pests has been observed. Root description.—Fine and fibrous, a blend of 158A and NN155A in color. Propagation type.—Stem cuttings and division. Root development.—An unrooted stem cutting will fully root in a 50-cell plug in 8 weeks and a 50-cell plug will fully root in a 1-gallon container in 10 weeks. Growth rate.—Vigorous. Branching habit.—Basal rosettes of leaves from rhizomes. Foliage description: Leaf shape.—Spatulate. Leaf division.—Simple. Leaf base.—Truncate to base of rhizome. Leaf apex.—Rounded. Leaf venation.—Pinnate, matches surface colors. Leaf margins.—Entire to slightly undulate. Leaf attachment and arrangement.—Whorled, held in in clumps. Leaf orientation.—Mostly upright. Leaf surface.—Very finely puberulent, matte on upper surface, slightly rough to the touch, lower surface smooth, glabrous, slightly glossy. Leaf color.—Young and mature upper and lower surface; a blend of 145A and 147B. Leaf size.—Average of 3.5 cm in length, 1 cm in width. Leaf quantity.—Average of 30 in a clump 1.5 cm in diameter. Leaf attachment.—Sessile. Flower description: Inflorescence type.—Verticillaster, terminal spike, individual flowers in clusters held in leaf-axils. Inflorescence size.—An average of 5 cm in height and 2.5 cm in width. Inflorescence number.—50 to 70 blooms as a fully mature plant grown in a 1-gallon container. Lastingness of inflorescence.—10 to 14 days, self-cleaning. Flower type.—Labiate. Flower number.—Average of 25 per inflorescence. Flower fragrance.—None. Flower buds.—Oblanceolate to rounded in shape, average of 2 mm in length and 1.75 mm in diameter, color; 145B, at bud burst 92B, immature calyx 145B, surface is matte and very densely covered with soft woolly pubescence; up to 1 mm in length, NN155D in color. Flower size.—Average of 1 cm in depth, 5 mm in diameter, throat 2 mm in diameter, tube 5 mm in length and 1.5 mm in diameter. Peduncles.—An average of 4 cm in length, 2 mm in diameter, quadrangular, vertical angle to slightly nodding, moderately strong, color; 183A, surface is glossy and sparsely covered with very short hairs; 1 mm in length, NN155D in color. Calyx.—Rotate and tubular in shape, 2 mm in length and diameter. Sepals.—5, 50% fused at base, average of 1 mm in length, 0.5 mm in width, ovate in shape, apex acute, entire margins, surface is covered with long woolly hairs matching surface color, color inner and outer surface 145A. Petals.—50% of petals fused into tube, upper central lobe; notched, average of 5 mm in length, 3 mm in width, blunt and rounded in shape, obtuse apex, entire margins, no undulation, upper and lower surface glabrous, matte, color; upper surface when opening and fully open inner section between veins 92B, veins, margins and apex 93A and 93B, lower surface when opening and fully open 93D, outer lobes; 6, average of 3 mm in length, 1 mm in width, oblanceolate in shape, apex is obtuse, entire margins, slight undulation, upper and lower surface glabrous and slightly glossy, velvety, color; upper surface when opening and fully open inner section between veins 92B, veins, margins and apex 93A and 93B, lower surface when opening and fully open 93D, flower throat; outer surface covered with woolly soft pubescence, inner surface is smooth and glabrous, color; inner and outer surface when opening and fully open 93B, flower tube; inner and outer surfaces glabrous, color inner and outer surfaces when opening and fully open 93B. Reproductive organs: Pistils.—1, style; 6 mm in length, 92D in color, base NN155D in color, stigma; non-distinguishable, ovary; oblong, 2 mm in length, 1 mm in width, NN155D in color. Stamens.—6, filament; implanted into flower tube, average of 4.5 mm in length, 97C in color, anthers; club-shaped, 0.5 mm in diameter, 203A in color, pollen; moderate and 17A in color. Fruit.—Fruit and seed production has not been observed to date.