Kalanchoe plant named Cinnabar

A kalanchoe named Cinnabar having deep orange-red florets in a well formed inflorescence carried on a very vigorous stem having close internodes with medium size, nearly round leaves. The self-branching habit is sufficiently compact for 10 cm. pots yet vigorous enough for larger specimens in 15 cm. pots.

The present invention relates to a new and distinctive cultivar of 
kalanchoe plant, botanically known as kalanchoe, and referred to by the 
cultivar name Cinnabar. Cinnabar was developed by me through controlled 
breeding by crossing seedling 77-717-55 (seed parent).times.seedling 
76-453-1 (pollen parent). Asexual reproduction by stem cuttings has shown 
that the unique features of this new kalanchoe are stabilized and are 
reproduced true to type in successive propagations. 
The following characteristics distinguish the new kalanchoe from both its 
parent cultivars and other cultivated kalanchoes of this type known and 
used in the floriculture industry: 
1. In comparison to Mercur, disclosed in pending application Ser. No. 
439,645 of Heinz Sommer, the flower color of Cinnabar is orange-red, the 
foliage is more rounded, flower size and inflorescence are larger, and the 
stems are much heavier. 
2. In comparison to Nugget, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,207, the 
flower color of Cinnabar is deeper, the foliage broader, and the plant is 
more vigorous. 
3. In comparison to Regulus, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,817, the 
flower color of Cinnabar is more red, the stems are heavier, and flowering 
is nearly two weeks earlier. 
4. In comparison to Sirius, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,103, the 
flower color of Cinnabar is more red, the plant vigor is greater, and 
self-branching is more pronounced. 
5. The new cultivar is extremely vigorous so that very small starter plants 
can be used for 10 cm. pot production by putting into short day treatment 
immediately at potting. 
6. The heavy vigorous stems are supporting a large, compact cyme when in 
full bloom. 
7. Individual florets in the inflorescence are large, with the white stigma 
being quite visible. 
8. Flower color is orange-red in low light, low temperature environments, 
becoming more orange under summer conditions. 
9. Inflorescence is quite resistant to botrytis petal blight. Foliage is 
quite resistant to powdery mildew. 
10. In high light and temperature regimes, several applications of growth 
regulator are needed to help control height and maintain good plant to pot 
size symmetry.

The following is a detailed description of Cinnabar based on plants 
produced under commercial practices in greenhouses at Mikkelsens Inc., 
Ashtabula, Ohio. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural 
Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary 
significance are used. 
Parentage: A controlled cross of my seedling 77-717-55 as the seed parent 
with seedling 76-453-1 as the pollen parent. 
Propagation: 
(A) Type cutting.--Tip or shoot cutting 2 cm. long. 
(B) Time to root.--10 days at 21.degree. C. summer, 15 days at 21.degree. 
C. winter. 
(C) Rooting habit.--Abundant, fibrous, dendritic. 
Plant Description: 
(A) Form.Upright, vigorous, compact, succulent. 
(B) Habit of growth.--Growth rate and vigor are above average; internodes 
are somewhat close before flower initiation, and self-branching is uniform 
the full length of stem. 
(C) Foliage.--Dark Yellow green, simple, opposite symmetrical. (1) Size: 
When grown at close production spacing in 10 cm. pots, the leaves are 
generally 8-9 cm. in diameter. (2) Shape: Orbicular, apex rounded, base 
obtuse toward rounded. (3) Texture: Glabrous, coriaceous, succulent. (4) 
Margin: Sinuate. (5) Color: Young foliage top side, yellow green 147A; 
under side yellow green 147B; mature foliage top side, between yellow 
green 146A-147A; under side, yellow green 147B. 
Flowering description: 
(A) Flowering habits.--Inflorescence of each peduncle is formed by 
dichotomous branching, starting with opening of terminal flower of main 
axis followed by terminal flowers of side branches of each inflorescence. 
Opening of secondary buds will continue for two months or more. Individual 
flowers will take 2-3 weeks to mature. 
(B) Natural flowering season.--Late December thru early January. Flowering 
time under controlled day length at 20.degree. C. night temperature in 
summer is 9 weeks; in winter, 13 weeks. Flower development time is 
directly proportional to the amount of light energy available. 
(C) Flower buds.--Symmetrically round oblong, up to 7-8 mm. long before 
opening, to tubular as flower petals mature, sheathed with four green 
sepals; corolla at maturity up to 15 mm. to flattened petals. 
(D) Flowers borne.--Compound dichasial cyme on strong peduncles. Floret 
pedicels generally 5-6 mm. long. 
(E) Quantity of flowers.--Highly floriferous, with 50 or more florets in 
flower at one time in each segment of cyme, and additional buds continuing 
to flower. 
(F) Petals.--(1) Shape: Nearly round, apex cuspidate. (2) Color top side 
when opening, greyed orange 169A, fading to orange-red 34B; under side 
orange-red 33B. (3) Number of petals: Four in each corolla, 6-7 mm. in 
diameter; total flower diameter up to 18 mm. 
(G) Reproductive organs.--(1) Stamens: Two sets of four each (a) Anther 
shape: Flat, color yellow. (b) Filament color: Light green to nearly 
translucent. (c) Pollen color: Light yellow. (2) Pistils (a) Stigma shape: 
Flat, irregular, color white. (b) Style color: Light green. (c) Ovaries: 
4, celled, size 5-6 mm. when mature, color green. 
Disease resistance: Inflorescence resistant to botrytis petal blight and 
foliage resistant to powdery mildew.