Mandevilla plant named ‘White Velvet’

[0001] Botanical designation: Mandevilla hybrid.

[0002] Cultivar denomination: ‘White Velvet’.

[0003] The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Mandevilla plant, botanically known as Mandevilla hybrid, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘White Velvet’.

[0004] The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hawthorne, Fla. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Mandevilla cultivars with attractive flower form and coloration.

[0005] The new cultivar originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in August, 2003, of the Mandevilla hybrid cultivar Red Velvet, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,238, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed selection of Mandevilla boliviensis, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Mandevilla was discovered and selected by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Hawthorne, Fla. on Apr. 12, 2005 from within the resultant progeny of the aforementioned cross-pollination. The new cultivar was selected on the basis of its unique flower coloration.

[0006] Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in Hawthorne, Fla. since June, 2005, has shown that the unique features of this new Mandevilla are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

[0007] Plants of the cultivar White Velvet have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

[0008] The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘White Velvet’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘White Velvet’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

• • [0009] 1. Upright vining plant habit.
  • [0010] 2. Vigorous growth habit.
  • [0011] 3. Freely branching habit.
  • [0012] 4. Large, glossy and dark green-colored leaves.
  • [0013] 5. White-colored flowers that are faintly overlain with red purple with imbricate petals with ruffled margins.

[0014] Plants of the new Mandevilla can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Red Velvet. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hawthorne, Fla., plants of the new Mandevilla differed from plants of the cultivar Red Velvet in the following characteristics:

• • [0015] 1. Plants of the new Mandevilla were more freely branching than plants of the cultivar Red Velvet.
  • [0016] 2. Plants of the new Mandevilla and the cultivar Red Velvet differed in flower color as plants of the cultivar Red Velvet had dark pink to dark red-colored flowers.

[0017] Plants of the new Mandevilla can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hawthorne, Fla., plants of the new Mandevilla differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

• • [0018] 1. Plants of the new Mandevilla had larger leaves than plants of the male parent selection.
  • [0019] 2. Plants of the new Mandevilla had larger flowers than plants of the male parent selection.

[0020] Plants of the new Mandevilla can also be compared to plants of the Mandevilla cultivar, ‘White Delite’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,479. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hawthorne, Fla., plants of the new Mandevilla differed from plants of the cultivar White Delite in the following characteristics:

• • [0021] 1. Plants of the new Mandevilla were more vigorous than plants of the cultivar White Delite.
  • [0022] 2. Plants of the new Mandevilla had thicker stems than plants of the cultivar White Delite.
  • [0023] 3. Plants of the new Mandevilla had larger leaves than plants of the cultivar White Delite.
  • [0024] 4. Plants of the new Mandevilla had larger flowers than plants of the cultivar White Delite.
  • [0025] 5. Plants of the new Mandevilla and the cultivar White Delite differed in flower color.

[0029] In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were about one year old and grown in one gallon containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Hawthorn, Fla. during the summer. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from about 32° C. to about 35° C. and night temperatures were about 21° C.

• [0030] Botanical classification: Mandevilla hybrid cultivar White Velvet.
• [0031] Parentage:
  • • [0032] Female, or seed, parent.—Mandevilla hybrid cultivar Red Velvet, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,238.
    • [0033] Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Mandevilla boliviensis, not patented.
• [0034] Propagation:
  • • [0035] Type.—Terminal cuttings.
    • [0036] Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 14 days at 24° C.
    • [0037] Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 20 days at 21° C.
    • [0038] Time to develop roots, summer.—About 45 days at 32° C.
    • [0039] Time to develop roots, winter.—About 60 days at 12° C. to 27° C.
    • [0040] Root description.—Thick, fibrous.
    • [0041] Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.
• [0042] Plant description:
  • • [0043] Form.—Perennial evergreen flowering plant; twining vine; initially upright, then vining, requires support to maintain upright habit. Plants are typically pinched about three months after planting to enhance lateral branch development; potentially two lateral branches form at every node.
    • [0044] Plant height (length).—About 30 cm.
    • [0045] Plant diameter.—About 28 cm.
    • [0046] Vigor.—Moderately vigorous.
    • [0047] Lateral branches.—Length: About 22 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Internode length: About 4 cm. Shape: Round in cross-section. Aspect: Initially upright, then trailing, requires support. Strength: Flexible, moderately strong. Texture: Developing stems; very fine white pubescence. Mature stems; woody and mostly smooth and glabrous. Color: Developing stems: 144A. Mature stems: Close to 148A overlain with close to 165A to 165B.
    • [0048] Foliage description.—Leaves simple, opposite; generally symmetrical and long-persisting. Length: About 15.2 cm. Width: About 5.3 cm. Shape: Elongated oblong. Apex: Sharply acute. Base: Cordate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Short fine pubescence. Luster: Upper surface, glossy; lower surface, somewhat glossy. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Petiole length: About 1.5 cm. Petiole diameter: About 2 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: More green than 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 146B. Venation, upper surface: Lateral veins, close to 147A; midvein, close to 146B. Venation, lower surface: Lateral veins, close to 146B; midvein, close to 146D. Petiole, upper surface: Close to 146A to 146B. Petiole, lower surface: Close to 146B to 146C.
• [0049] Flower description:
  • • [0050] Flower type and habit.—Simple salverfrom flowers arranged on axillary or terminal racemes; flowers face mostly outward. Flowers self-cleaning. Freely flowering, about 20 flowers per plant develop during the flowering season.
    • [0051] Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn; flowering continuous.
    • [0052] Flower longevity on the plant.—About three to four days.
    • [0053] Fragrance.—None detected.
    • [0054] Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused, five-parted; petals imbricate; flowers roughly star-shaped. Diameter: About 7.8 cm. Depth (length): About 5.4 cm. Corolla tube length: About 2.75 cm. Throat diameter: About 1.4 cm. Tube diameter, base: About 2.5 mm.
    • [0055] Flower buds (just before opening).—Length: About 4 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Shape: Elongated oblong. Color: Close to 155D faintly underlain with close to 61A.
    • [0056] Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five imbricate petals, fused into flared trumpet. Petal lobe length: About 3.4 cm. Petal lobe width: About 2.8 cm. Petal shape: Roughly spatulate. Petal apex: Rounded; undulate, ruffled appearance. Petal margin: Entire; undulate, ruffled appearance. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, velvety. Color: Petal, upper surface, when opening: Close to 155D overlain with close to 61A. Petal, lower surface, when opening: Close to 155D faintly underlain with close to 61A. Petal, upper surface, fully opened; Close to 155D faintly overlain with close to 61A; color becoming closer to 155D with development. Petal, lower surface, fully opened: Close to 155D faintly underlain with close to 61A; color becoming closer to 155D with development. Tube, fully opened: Close to 150C. Throat, fully opened: Close to 4D.
    • [0057] Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Five per flower in a single whorl; fused; reflexed. Length: About 8 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Deltoid. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; slightly waxy. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144D.
    • [0058] Peduncles.—Length: About 2.1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle: Mostly straight. Strength: Flexible, but strong. Color: Close to 144A.
    • [0059] Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five; filaments fused to corolla. Anther shape: Oblong, elongated. Anther size: About 4 mm by 1.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 8C. Pollen: None observed. Pistils: Quantity: One. Pistil length: About 1.1 cm. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: Close to 150D. Style color: Close to 155D. Ovary color: Close to 144A to 144B.
    • [0060] Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.
• [0061] Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Mandevilla have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Mandevilla.
• [0062] Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Mandevilla have been observed to be tolerant to rain and wind and tolerant to temperatures from about 0° C. to about 40° C.