New Guinea Impatiens plant named &#8216;Kiquilla&#8217;

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named &#8216;Kiquilla&#8217;, characterized by its rounded, upright and compact plant habit; freely branching growth habit; bushy appearance; variegated foliage; freely flowering habit with flowers held above and beyond the foliage; and white-colored flowers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Kiquilla.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program Inventor in Gensingen, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new Impatiens cultivars with interesting and unique flower and foliage colors.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in September, 1998 of a proprietary Impatiens hawkeri selection identified as 98-603, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Moorea, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,147, as the male, or pollen parent. The cultivar Kiquilla was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Gensingen, Germany in March, 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Gensingen, Germany, since May, 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of Kiquilla . These characteristics in combination distinguish Kiquilla as a new and distinct Impatiens cultivar:

4. Freely flowering habit with flowers held above and beyond the foliage.

Plants of the new Impatiens differ from plants of the female parent, the selection 98-603, primarily in leaf coloration as leaf variegation of plants of the new Impatiens is stronger than leaf variegation of plants of the selection 98-603.

Plants of the new Impatiens are most similar to plants of the male parent, the cultivar Moorea. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gensingen, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar Moorea in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens were more freely branching than plants of the cultivar Moorea.

2. Leaves of plants of the new Impatiens were variegated whereas leaves of plants of the cultivar Moorea were not variegated.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Kiquilla has 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. The aforementioned photograph and the following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif., during the late spring, under commercial practice in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse with day temperatures about 24 C., night temperatures about 18 C., and light levels typically about 4,000 foot-candles. Plants used in the photograph and following description were about 14 weeks old and grown in 22-cm containers with three plants per container.

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.

Time to initiate roots. Summer: About 14 days at 23 C. Winter: About 17 days at 20 C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner. Summer: About 21 days at 23 C. Winter: About 24 days at 20 C.

General appearance. Rounded and somewhat upright; compact. Appropriate for 10 to 25-cm containers; multiple plants are typically planted in larger containers.

Growth and branching habit. Freely branching with about seven lateral branches developing at the base, dense and bushy growth. Pinching, that is, removal of the terminal apices, is typically not required. Moderately vigorous.

Flower type and flowering habit. Single axillary flowers. Freely flowering, usually about six flowers and flower buds per lateral branch. Flowers typically face upward or outward and held above and beyond the foliage. Flowers somewhat cupped and rounded triangular in shape. Flowers last about eight days on the plant depending on temperature and weather conditions. Petals self-cleaning; gynoecium persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Flowering season. Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In the garden, flowering from spring until fall.

Flower buds ( at stage of showing color ). Rate of opening: From showing color to fully open flower, typically about 2 to 3 days depending on temperature. Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 150D.

Seed/fruit. Seed and fruit development has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Impatiens.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Impatiens have been observed to tolerate temperatures from 16 to 30 C.