Strawberry plant named ‘Driscoll Atlantis’

[0001] 1. Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: The variety is botanically identified as Fragaria×ananassa.

[0002] 1.1 Variety denomination: The strawberry variety denomination is ‘Driscoll Atlantis’.

[0003] The new variety originated as a result of a controlled cross between the strawberry plants ‘88E94’ (unpatented variety) and Mirador (U.S. Plant Pat. No.: 11,279) in an ongoing breeding program, and was discovered as a seedling in Hillsborough, Fla. in 1999. The original seedling of the new cultivar was asexually propagated by stolons in a Nursery in Shasta County, Calif. Propagules were transplanted to a controlled breeding plot in Hillsborough County, Fla., where the variety was identified and selected for further evaluation. ‘Driscoll Atlantis’ was subsequently asexually propagated and underwent further testing in Hillsborough County, Fla. for three years. This propagation and testing has demonstrated that the combination of traits disclosed herein which characterize the new variety are fixed and retained true to type through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

[0004] The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry named ‘Driscoll Atlantis.’ The variety is botanically identified as Fragaria×ananassa. The new variety is distinguished from other varieties by a number of characteristics as set forth in Tables 1-4.

[0005] The varieties which we believe to be similar to ‘Driscoll Atlantis’ from those known to us are ‘Biscayne’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,186) and ‘Key Largo’ ( U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,649). There are several characteristics of the new variety that are different from, or not possessed by ‘Biscayne’ and ‘Key Largo’. The new variety has a shorter average stipule length, a reduced frequency of paired bracts, a shorter sepal length and width, weak leaf glosiness, dense stipule pubescence, and a very narrow band on the fruit where achenes are absent.

[0006] ‘Driscoll Atlantis’ is distinguished from its parents ‘88E94’ and ‘Mirador’ by being partially everbearing, in comparison to the fully everbearing trait of both parents.

[0013] The following detailed description of the new variety is based upon observations taken of plants and fruit grown in Hillsborough County, Fla., U.S.A. This description is in accordance with UPOV terminology. Observations of ‘Driscoll Atlantis’, ‘Biscayne’ and ‘Key Largo’ were taken in side by side comparison in the 2003-2004 winter season. Plants for observation were harvested from McArthur, Calif., and held in refrigerated storage until planting in Hillsborough County, Fla. in October 2003. Plants were grown in raised beds of soil under conditions typical of commercial strawberry production in central Florida. Fruits were harvested twice weekly for yield determination from November 2003 to March 2004. Measurements of plant, flower, and fruit characteristics were made in January 2004, approximately four months after planting. Color designations, color descriptions, and other phenotypical descriptions may deviate from the stated values and descriptions depending upon variation in environmental, seasonal, climatic and cultural conditions. Colors are described and the most similar color designations are provided from The Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S.) Colour Chart.

[0014] The new variety is principally propagated by way of stolons. Although propagation by stolons is presently preferred, other known methods of propagating strawberry plants may be employed.

[0015] Information on the new variety is presented in Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4. In the tables, the flowers described are secondary flowers except where indicated. The fruit described is the secondary fruit on five month old plants. Fruit and flower measurements are an average of both primary and secondary fruit and flowers.

[0016] Table 1 provides information on the plant and fruit characteristics of the new variety ‘Driscoll Atlantis’ compared with characteristics of ‘Biscayne’ and ‘Key Largo.’ Table 2 provides additional information of the plant and fruit characteristics of the new variety ‘Driscoll Atlantis’ compared with characteristics of the varieties ‘Biscayne’ and ‘Key Largo.’ Table 3 provides reactions of the new variety to stresses, pests and diseases compared with reactions of the varieties ‘Biscayne’ and ‘Key Largo.’ Table 4 provides isozyme characteristics of the new variety as compared to that of the varieties ‘Biscayne’ and ‘Key Largo.’

[0017]

TABLE 1
QUANTITATIVE COMPARISON OF ‘DRISCOLL ATLANTIS’,
‘BISCAYNE,’ AND ‘KEY LARGO’
	‘Driscoll
	Atlantis’	‘Biscayne’	‘Key Largo’
Plant Characteristics
Height of Plant (cm)	8.7	10.0	11.6
Spread of Plant (cm)	30.8	31.3	32.1
Number of Crowns	3.7	3.2	4.2
Leaf Characteristics
Terminal Leaflet	7.0	7.6	8.4
Length (cm)
Terminal Leaflet	7.2	8.1	8.0
Width (cm)
Terminal Leaflet	0.97	0.93	1.06
Length/Width Ratio
# Teeth/Terminal	19.0	27.0	21.6
Leaflet
Color of upper side	137A	137A	137A
	medium green	light green	light green
Color of under side	140D	139C	139C
	light gray	light gray	light gray
	green	green	green
Petiole Length (cm)	10.5	9.2	11.5
Petiole Color	145C	142D	142D
	yellow green	yellow green	yellow green
Petiolule Length (mm)	4.7	5.5	6.3
Petiolule Diameter	1.7	2.2	1.9
(mm)
Petiolule Color	145C	142D	142D
	yellow green	yellow green	yellow green
Bract Frequency	50%	83%	0%
	typically	typically
	paired	paired
Stipule Length (cm)	2.9	3.7	3.4
Stipule Width (cm)	1.5	2.0	1.5
Stolon Characteristics
Anthocyanin color	60A	59B
	red	red
Diameter at bract	2.92	3.24	3.30
(mm)
Avg. # of Daughter	53	72	52
plants (2003 Nursery)
Flower Characteristics
Petal Length (cm)	1.3	1.36	1.65
Petal Width (cm)	1.3	1.49	1.46
Petal Length/Width	0.96	0.91	1.13
Ratio
Flower Diameter (cm)	2.85	2.76	2.72
Calyx Diameter (cm)	3.48	3.86	5.11
Sepal Length (mm)	12.7	15.3	21.5
Sepal Width (cm)	6.8	7.22	9.15
Petal Color	155C	155C	155C
	white	white	white
Receptical Color	149C	150A	150A
	yellow green	yellow green	yellow green
Anther Color	9A yellow	9A yellow	9A yellow
Fruiting Truss Length	18.2	8.7	13.6
(cm)
Fruit Characteristics
Fruit Length (cm)	5.0	4.8	4.8
Fruit Width (cm)	3.9	4.0	3.5
Fruit Length/Width	1.29	1.20	1.37
Ratio
Average Berry Weight	23.6	26.5	23.2
(g)
External Color	45B	46B	46B
	red	red	red
Internal Color	42B	44A	44B
	dark red	medium red	medium red
Achene Coloration	151D to 185D	180B to 150C	182B to 150A
	grey red to	grey red to	grey red to
	yellow green	yellow green	yellow green
Achenes per berry	121	109	104
Achene weight (g)	0.000082	0.00046	0.00058
2003-2004 Fruit Yield	327	243	251
(g/plant)

[0018]

TABLE 2
QUALITATIVE COMPARISON OF ‘DRISCOLL ATLANTIS’,
‘BISCAYNE,’ AND ‘KEY LARGO’
	‘Driscoll
	Atlantis’	‘Biscayne’	‘Key Largo’
Plant
Habit	flat globose	flat globose	globose
Canopy Density	medium to	medium	medium
	dense
Vigor	medium	strong	medium
Leaf
Shape in cross section	slightly	concave	slightly
	concave to flat		concave
Interveinal blistering	medium	weak	weak
Glossiness	weak	medium	medium
Number of leaflets	three only	three only	three only
Terminal leaflet	flat	revolute	revolute
margin profile
Terminal leaflet shape	rounded	rounded	slightly oblique
of base
Terminal leaflet shape	obtuse to	rounded	rounded
of teeth	rounded
Stipule pubescence	dense	medium	medium
Petiole pubescence	dense	medium	medium
Petiole pose of hairs	outwards	outwards	upward
Stolon
Anthocyanin	weak to	strong
coloration	medium
Thickness	medium	medium
Pubescence	medium	medium
Inflorescence
Position relative to	level to above	level	level to above
foliage
Diameter of calyx	same size to	larger	much larger
relative to corolla on	larger
secondary flowers
Diameter of inner	same size	same size	smaller
calyx relative to outer
on secondary flowers
Spacing of petals	overlapping	overlapping	overlapping
Fruiting Truss
Attitude at first	prostrate	prostrate	semi-erect
picking
Fruit
Predominant shape	conical	conical	conical
Difference in shapes	slight	slight	slight
between primary and
secondary fruits
Band without achenes	very narrow	narrow	narrow
Unevenness of surface	weak to	weak	weak
	medium
Evenness of color	even	even	even
Glossiness	strong	strong	strong
Insertion of achenes	level with	level with	below surface
	surface	surface
Insertion of calyx	level	level	set above
Pose of the calyx	spreading to	spreading	reflexed
segments	reflexed
Size of calyx in	same to larger	larger	larger
relation to fruit on
secondary fruit
Adherence of calyx	strong	strong	strong
Firmness of flesh	firm	firm	firm
Evenness of flesh	slightly uneven	slightly uneven	slightly uneven
color
Distribution of flesh	marginal and	marginal and	marginal and
color	central	central	central
Hollow center size	medium	large	medium
Sweetness	strong	strong	medium
Texture when tasted	medium	fine	medium
Acidity	medium	medium	medium
Time of First	Late October	Mid-November	Late November
Flowering in 2003-
2004
Harvest Interval in	Late November	Early	Late December
2003-2004	to Mid-March	December to	to Mid-March
		Mid-March
Type of Bearing	partially	partially	partially
	everbearing	everbearing	everbearing

[0019]

TABLE 3
REACTIONS TO STRESS PESTS AND DISEASES FOR ‘DRISCOLL
ATLANTIS’, ‘BISCAYNE,’ AND ‘KEY LARGO’
	‘Driscoll
	Atlantis’	‘Biscayne’	‘Key Largo’
Reaction to Pests
Tetranychus urticae	susceptible	susceptible	moderately
			susceptible
Lygus hesperus	susceptible	susceptible	susceptible
Reaction To Diseases
Botrytis fruit rot	susceptible	susceptible	susceptible
Powdery mildew	susceptible	moderately	susceptible
		susceptible
Verticillium wilt	moderately	susceptible	susceptible
	susceptible
Strawberry Mottle Virus	moderately	moderately	moderately
	resistant	resistant	resistant
Xanthomonas fragariae	moderately	moderately	moderately
	susceptible	susceptible	susceptible

[0020] In addition to the morphological description above, the new cultivar ‘Driscoll Atlantis’ has been analyzed to obtain an indication of its genetic makeup to provide further means for identifying the new variety and distinguishing it from other somewhat similar and/or related strawberry varieties. Specifically, leaf samples of ‘Driscoll Atlantis’, ‘Biscayne’ and ‘Key Largo’ were analyzed by electrophoresis for isozyme patterns of the enzymes phosphoglucoisomerase (“PGI”), leucine aminopeptidase (“LAP”) and phosphoglucomutase (“PGM”). See J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 106:684-687. Isozyme characterization of the three varieties is presented in Table 4, with the letters representing the banding patterns for each enzyme as designated in the above-identified article.

[0021]

TABLE 4
ISOZYME ANALYSIS FOR ‘DRISCOLL ATLANTIS’,
‘BISCAYNE,’ AND ‘KEY LARGO’
		‘Driscoll
	Locus	Atlantis’	‘Biscayne’	‘Key Largo’
	PGI	A4	A1	A1
	LAP	B3	B3	B3
	PGM	C4	C4	C4