CELERY MORPHOLOGY

Abstract

The invention relates to a celery plant (Apium graveolens L. dulce) carrying a genetic determinant that leads to short leaf blades and/or a more uniform distribution of stem lengths as compared to celery plants not carrying the genetic determinant, wherein said determinant is obtainable by introgression from a plant grown from seed of which a representative sample was deposited with the NCIMB under Accession No. NCIMB 41513. The invention also relates to seeds and other propagation material of the plant and to its progeny as well as to food products that comprise the consumable parts of the plant.

Claims

1. A progeny of a celery plant (Apium graveolens L. dulce), said celery plant having a ratio between average leaf blade length in cm and average stick length in cm of less than 1.0 and a standard deviation of stick lengths in cm within the plant of not more than 2.4 at the stage of full leaf expansion, a representative deposit of seed of which has been deposited with the NCIMB under Accession No. 41513; and said progeny plant having a ratio between average leaf blade length in cm and average stick length in cm of less than 1.0 and a standard deviation of stick lengths in cm within the progeny plant of not more than 2.4 at the stage of full leaf expansion, a representative deposit of seed of which has been deposited with the NCIMB under Accession No. 41513.

2. The progeny plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the progeny plant has leaf blades shorter than 27 cm.

3. The progeny plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the progeny plant has leaf blades shorter than 21 cm or 18 cm.

4. The progeny plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the standard deviation of stick length in cm within the progeny plant is not more than 2.2 or 1.8.

5. The progeny plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the standard deviation of stick length in cm within the progeny plant is not more than 1.5 or 1.3.

6. Seed of the progeny plant as claimed in claim 1, said seed having a genetic determinant of the celery plant for a ratio between average leaf blade length in cm and average stick length in cm of less than 1.0 and a standard deviation of stick lengths in cm within the plant of not more than 2.4 at the stage of full leaf expansion.

7. (canceled)

8. A progeny plant of a celery plant (Apium graveolens L. dulce), said celery plant having a ratio between average leaf blade length in cm and average stick length in cm of less than 1.0 and a standard deviation of stick lengths in cm within the plant of not more than 2.4 at the stage of full leaf expansion, a representative deposit of seed of which has been deposited with the NCIMB under Accession No. 41513; said progeny plant having a genetic determinant of the celery plant that leads to the progeny plant having a ratio between average leaf blade length in cm and average stick length in cm of less than 1.0 and a standard deviation of stick lengths in cm within the progeny plant of not more than 2.4 at the stage of full leaf expansion, a representative deposit of seed of which has been deposited with the NCIMB under Accession No. 41513.

9. A food product comprising stalks of the progeny plant as claimed in claim 1.

10. (canceled)

11. The progeny plant as claimed in claim 8, wherein the progeny plant has leaf blades shorter than 27 cm.

12. The progeny plant as claimed in claim 8, wherein the progeny plant has leaf blades shorter than 21 cm or 18 cm.

13. The progeny plant as claimed in claim 8, wherein the standard deviation of stick length in cm within the progeny plant is not more than 2.2 or 1.8.

14. The progeny plant as claimed in claim 8, wherein the standard deviation of stick length in cm within the progeny plant is not more than 1.5 or 1.3.

15. Seed of the progeny plant as claimed in claim 8, said seed having a genetic determinant of the celery plant for a ratio between average leaf blade length in cm and average stick length in cm of less than 1.0 and a standard deviation of stick lengths in cm within the plant of not more than 2.4 at the stage of full leaf expansion.

16. A progeny plant of a celery plant (Apium graveolens L. dulce) carrying a genetic determinant that leads to the plant having a ratio between average leaf blade length in cm and average stick length in cm of less than 1.0 and a standard deviation of stick lengths in cm within the plant of not more than 2.4 at the stage of full leaf expansion, a representative deposit of seed of which has been deposited with the NCIMB under Accession No. 41513, said progeny plant having a ratio between average leaf blade length in cm and average stick length in cm of less than 1.0 and a standard deviation of stick lengths in cm within the progeny plant of not more than 2.4 at the stage of full leaf expansion, a representative deposit of seed of which has been deposited with the NCIMB under Accession No. 41513.

17. A progeny plant of a celery plant (Apium graveolens L. dulce) carrying a genetic determinant that leads to the plant having a ratio between average leaf blade length in cm and average stick length in cm of less than 1.0 and a standard deviation of stick lengths in cm within the plant of not more than 2.4 at the stage of full leaf expansion, a representative deposit of seed of which has been deposited with the NCIMB under Accession No. 41513, said progeny plant having a genetic determinant of the celery plant that leads to the progeny plant having a ratio between average leaf blade length in cm and average stick length in cm of less than 1.0 and a standard deviation of stick lengths in cm within the progeny plant of not more than 2.4 at the stage of full leaf expansion, a representative deposit of seed of which has been deposited with the NCIMB under Accession No. 41513.

18. A food product comprising stalks of the progeny plant as claimed in claim 8.

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0097] The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.

[0098] The invention will be further illustrated in the Examples that follow. In the Example reference is made to the following figures:

[0099] FIG. 1 shows the entire celery plant of the existing type.

[0100] FIG. 2 shows the different stems and heart of the celery plant of FIG. 1.

[0101] FIG. 3 illustrates the description of a celery leaf according to UPOV TG/82/4.

[0102] FIG. 4 shows on the left two normal celery plants and on the right two plants of the invention.

[0103] FIG. 5A shows plants of the invention with separated leaves.

[0104] FIG. 5B shows a normal celery plant.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

Creation of Celery Plants of the Invention

[0105] In research that led to the invention, a cross was made between 2 fertile plants from lines from Apium graveolens dulce (celery or stalk celery) and Apium graveolens secalinum (cutting celery or leaf celery). The crosses have been made with insects. In the F2 of this specific cross, plants with an unexpected different habit were found.

[0106] A. graveolens secalinum is known for its use of the leaves, and the plants therefore mainly consist of long leaf blades and thin petioles, as opposite to A. graveolens dulce, which is specifically used for the thick petioles or sticks. A. graveolens dulce contains on the end of the petioles also long leaf blades with long internodes. However, in the progeny of the cross between dulce and secalinum, surprisingly some plants with a different morphology were identified.

[0107] These plants had unexpectedly resulted in shorter leaf blades with short internodes in combination with the long and thick petioles from dulce. This was in contradiction to the expected longer and pronounced leaf blades that are typical for leaf celery, and that are also standard in the stalk celery. Therefore, the two parents with long leaf blades and long internodes produced progeny plants with short leaf blades and short internodes.

[0108] Further development was carried out through inbred and half-sib selection. After several cycles the new type became more uniform with the first joints on the same height (FIG. 4), resulting in a distribution of petiole lengths within a plant with a low standard deviation. The differences in length of the individual petioles of a plant were very small. This results in a very uniform harvestable product, as there is a high number of sticks almost the same length. It also results in a lower amount of waste, as less cutting of the sticks needs to be done to acquire sticks of the same length.

[0109] Also the leaf tips are uniform on the same height. Furthermore, the leaf blades above the joint are significantly shorter in the new type in comparison with a normal celery plant. Since the leaf blades of celery are typically not used and need to be cut off and disposed of, the much shorter leaf blades result in a considerably lower amount of waste.

Example 2

Characterisation of Celery Plants of the Invention

[0110] Plants of the invention (identified herein as “newcel”) were compared with known celery plants. Table 1 shows the results of this comparison. FIG. 5A shows plants of the invention with separated leaves. FIG. 5B shows a normal celery plant.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 # sticks total length average average st. per (cm): (8) as leaf blade stick dev. plant in FIG. 3 length (cm) length (cm) sticks “newcel” Plant 1 13 39 17.9 21.1 1.0 Plant 2 11 39 17.1 21.9 1.1 Plant 3 12 43 20.7 22.3 1.1 Plant 4 12 40 16.4 23.6 1.5 Plant 5 10 40 17.3 22.7 1.2 Plant 6 13 41 18.8 22.2 1.6 Plant 7 12 41 18.1 22.9 1.3 Plant 8 14 41 19.4 21.6 1.2 Plant 9 11 41 19.2 21.8 1.8 Plant 10 12 40 18.3 21.7 1.5 Average 12.0 40.5 18.3 22.2 1.3 Normal celery Plant 1 13 59 36.7 22.3 3.2 Plant 2 11 66 38.1 27.9 3.4 Plant 3 12 61 37.2 23.8 2.5 Plant 4 12 60 34.9 25.1 4.6 Plant 5 11 58 32.6 25.4 4.5 Plant 6 12 58 32.6 25.4 4.6 Plant 7 12 68 42.2 25.8 4.5 Plant 8 13 62 38.3 23.7 2.8 Plant 9 11 59 34.0 25.0 3.2 Plant 10 12 60 36.2 23.8 4.1 Average 11.9 61.1 36.3 24.8 3.7

[0111] It is clear from the results in Table 1 that the celery plants of the invention have significantly shorter leaf blades, a significantly shorter total length than celery plants with a comparable stick length not carrying the genetic determinant of the invention, and in addition stem length distribution within a plant is significantly more uniform in comparison with normal celery.

Example 3

Introduction of the New Trait into Other Celery Plants

[0112] Plants of the invention that were deposited under NCIMB accession number 41513 were crossed with normal celery plants. The F2 progeny segregated for plants that showed the same characteristics as the parent plants of NCIMB accession number 41513. Further development of these plants resulted in lines with the trait of the invention, as found in NCIMB accession number 41513.