<i>Coleus </i>plant named ‘UF19-42-14’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Coleus (Coleus scutellarioides) plant named ‘UF19-42-14’, selected for having a combination of desirable traits that make it well-suited for good performance as an annual plant in the summer landscape. ‘UF19-42-14’ has contrasting yellow green leaf color with prominent dark purplish red veins, and excellent overall plant vigor in all trials. ‘UF19-42-14’ maintains its foliage late into the Fall season until frost. It has a very stable leaf color in both sun and shade and was well-branched and vigorous in all locations trialed. Due to its striking color combination and vigorous upright and spreading habit, this plant will likely be grown in landscapes as a specimen annual plant filling a large amount of space with color in a very short period of time.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Coleus scutellarioides plant named ‘UF19-42-14’ as shown and described herein.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) This new Coleus cultivar ‘UF19-42-14’ is illustrated by the accompanying photographs, which show the plant's form and foliage. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. FIGS. 2 and 3 were taken from plants grown nine weeks from unrooted cuttings in September-November 2021 in a glass-covered greenhouse in Gainesville, Fla.

(2) FIG. 1 shows the pedigree of the claimed plant;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the growth habit, form, and foliage of the claimed plant; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of the foliage of the claimed plant.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CULTIVAR

(5) The following detailed description sets forth the distinctive characteristics of the new cultivar ‘UF19-42-14’. Color references are to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), 2007 (5th Edition).

Description of Growing Conditions

(6) The detailed description was generated using nine-week-old plants of the new cultivar ‘UF19-42-14’ grown from unrooted cuttings in September-November 2021 in a glass-covered greenhouse in Gainesville, Fla. The plants were propagated in mist for ten days after cuttings were stuck, then grown in one-gallon pots for approximately seven and a half additional weeks.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(7) Botanical classification: Family.—Lamiaceae. Botanical name.—Coleus scutellarioides. Common name.—Coleus. Cultivar.—‘UF19-42-14’. Parentage: Female or seed parent.—‘UF18-38-14’. Male or pollen parent.—Unknown. Plant description: Growth habit.—Upright and spreading. Plant height (from top of soil).—45-50 cm. Plant width (horizontal plant diameter).—75-80 cm. Propagation: Type cuttings.—Vegetative meristem tip cuttings having at least 1 node. Time to initiate roots.—3-4 days. Time to produce a rooted cutting.—7-10 days. Roots: Rooting habit.—Fibrous. Root description.—Callus forms in 2-3 days, roots initiate in 3-4 days and become a highly branched cutting in 7-10 days. Branches: Quantity per plant.—6-7. Branch color.—RHS 143A (strong yellow green). Texture.—Smooth. Pubescence.—Not present. Stem description.—Square-shaped stem, 1.1 cm in diameter at the soil line. Branch diameter.—0.8-0.9 cm at the base of a 45 cm long branch. Branch length.—43-45 cm. Internode length.—6-7 cm. Anthocyanin.—Not present. Foliage description: Quantity of leaves per branch.—22-24. Arrangement.—Opposite. Fragrance.—Not fragrant. Shape.—Ovate. Length.—10-12 cm. Width.—9-11 cm. Apex.—Broadly acute. Base.—Attenuate. Margin.—Lobed. Leaf texture.—Top: Pulverulent. Bottom: Smooth. Pubescence.—Not present. Venation color, mature leaf.—Upper surface, proximal (base): RHS 143A (strong yellow green). Upper surface, distal (tip): RHS N186D (dark purplish red). Lower surface: RHS N186D (dark purplish red). Venation color, immature leaf.—Upper surface: RHS 187B (dark red). Lower surface: RHS 144C (strong yellow green). Venation pattern.—Upper surface: Reticulate. Lower surface: Reticulate. Color, immature leaf.—Upper surface, main/background: RHS N144C (strong yellow green). Lower surface: RHS 144C (strong yellow green). Color, mature leaf.—Upper surface, main/background: RHS 144A (strong yellow green). Lower surface, main/background: RHS 141C (strong yellowish green). Petiole length.—4-5 cm. Petiole diameter.—0.2-0.3 cm. Petiole color.—RHS 143B (strong yellow green). Petiole texture.—Smooth, no pubescence. Flowers and seeds: Flowers and seeds have not been observed to date during formal trials in Gainesville, Fla. Fruit/seed set: Fruit/seed not observed. Disease and insect resistance: Disease and insect resistance is typical of the species, thus no claims are made of any superior disease or insect resistance with this cultivar. The most common insect pests observed on this plant in Gainesville, Fla. have been long-tailed or citrus mealybugs (Pseudococcus sp.), which occur on older stock plant material held in the greenhouse for over 3-4 months. Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (Bunyaviridae) has also been observed in plants confined in greenhouses with mixed crops (peppers) infected with Western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis). The most common pathogen of this species in the U.S. is downy mildew (Perononspora lamii). This pathogen has been observed in stock materials grown closely together in cooler growing seasons.

COMPARISON WITH KNOWN CULTIVARS

(8) Plants of the new Coleus cultivar ‘UF19-42-14’ can be compared to those of ‘UF10-45-12’ (sold commercially under the trade name COLEOSAURUS™, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,126). The main background color on the upper surface of mature leaves of both ‘UF19-42-4’ and ‘UF10-45-12’ is RHS 144A (strong yellow green); however, ‘UF19-42-14’ has wider and less defined venation coloration of RHS 187B (dark red), whereas ‘UF10-45-12’ has narrower and more defined venation coloration of RHS 59A (dark red). Additionally, ‘UF19-42-14’ has leaf margins with lobes that are irregular in depth, whereas ‘UF10-45-12’ has leaf margins with lobes that are more consistent in depth.