Poinsettia plant named &#8216;Duelebri&#8217;

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named &#8216;Duelebri&#8217;, characterized by its inflorescences with inflorescences with red-colored flower bracts; dark green-colored leaves with red purple-colored petioles; uniform and rounded plant habit; early flowering; freely branching habit; and excellent post-production longevity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name Duelebri .

The new Poinsettia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Poinsettia cultivars with uniform plant habit and attractive flower bract coloration.

The new Poinsettia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 1995 of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number EUP 115, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent, with a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number F-03-15, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Duelebri was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany in 1998. The selection of this plant was based on its attractive flower bract coloration and uniform plant habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by vegetative terminal cuttings taken at Rheinberg, Germany since 1998, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

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

3. Uniform and rounded plant habit.

Compared to plants of the female parent, the selection EUP 115, plants of the new Poinsettia have fewer cyathia per corymb and flower earlier. Compared to plants of the male parent, the selection F-03-15, plants of the new Poinsettia have more cyathia per corymb and flower later.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the cultivar 490, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar 490 in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were shorter than plants of the cultivar 490.

2. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more freely branching as plants of the cultivar 490.

3. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered later than plants of the cultivar 490.

4. Plants of the new Poinsettia had larger cyathia clusters and more cyathia per corymb than plants of the cultivar 490.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and averaged measurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the winter under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and night temperatures about 22 C. and light levels about 4,500 lux. Single plants were grown in 13-cm pots and pinched once. Plants were flowered under natural season short day/long night conditions. Plants were about 16 weeks from unrooted cuttings when the photographs and the detailed botanical description were taken.

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.

Female parent . Proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number EUP 115, not patented.

Male parent . Proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number F-03-15, not patented.

Time to initiate roots . Summer: About 9 days at 22 C. Winter: About 13 days at 22 C.

Time to develop roots . Summer: About 21 days at 22 C. Winter: About 28 days at 22 C.

Root description . Thick, fibrous and white in color.

Plant form . Inverted triangle, top of plant rounded.

Growth habit . Upright and uniform plant habit.

Plant diameter or spread . About 35 cm.

Inflorescence type and habit . Inflorescences are compound corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia. Inflorescences are not fragrant. Inflorescences persistent.

Natural flowering season . Autumn/winter in Northern Hemisphere. Flower initiation and development is induced under long nyctoperiod conditions. Response time, about eight weeks.

Post - production longevity . Plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good substance and bract color for about eight weeks under interior conditions and about 12 to 14 weeks under greenhouse conditions.

Quantity of inflorescences per plant . One per lateral branch, about eight.

Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to Poinsettias has not been observed on plants grown under commercial conditions.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been observed to tolerate temperatures from 12 to 40 C.