Gerbera plant named ‘Flocave’

A new and distinct cultivar of Gerbera plant named ‘Flocave’, characterized by its compact, upright and uniformly mounding plant habit; freely flowering habit; semi-double type inflorescences with ray florets that are white in color; and upright, strong and relatively short scapes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofGerberaplant, botanically known asGerbera jamesoniiand hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Flocave’.

The newGerberaplant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Kwakel, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact container Gerbera cultivars with numerous inflorescences, good garden performance and attractive ray and disc floret coloration.

The newGerberaplant originated from a cross-pollination in March, 2003 in De Kwakel, The Netherlands ofGerbera jamesonii‘Lovely Disc’, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent withGerbera jamesonii‘Moana’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Gerbera was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands during the spring of 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the newGerberaplant by tissue culture in a controlled environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands since the summer of 2004 has shown that the unique features of this newGerberaplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the newGerberahave 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 following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Flocave’ . These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Flocave’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofGerbera:1. Compact, upright and uniformly mounding plant habit.2. Freely flowering habit.3. Semi-double type inflorescences with ray florets that are white in color.4. Upright, strong and relatively short scapes.

Plants of the newGerberadiffer from plants of the female parent, ‘Lovely Disc’, in the following characteristics:1. Plants of the newGerberaare more compact than plants of ‘Lovely Disc’.2. Plants of the newGerberahave shorter scapes than plants of ‘Lovely Disc’.3. Plants of the newGerberahave semi-double type inflorescences whereas plants of ‘Lovely Disc’ have double type inflorescences.4. Pappus of plants of the newGerberaare dark purple in color whereas pappus of plants of ‘Lovely Disc’ are green in color.

Plants of the newGerberadiffer from plants of the male parent, ‘Moana’, in the following characteristics:1. Plants of the newGerberaare more compact than plants of ‘Moana’.2. Plants of the newGerberahave shorter scapes than plants of ‘Moana’.3. Plants of the newGerberahave semi-double type inflorescences whereas plants of ‘Moana’ have single type inflorescences.4. Ray florets of plants of the newGerberaare white in color whereas ray florets of plants of ‘Moana’ are pink in color.

Plants of the newGerberacan be compared to plants of theGerbera jamesonii‘Everlast White’, not patented. Plants of the newGerberadiffer from plants of ‘Everlast White’ in the following characteristics:1. Plants of the newGerberaare more uniform in growth habit than plants of ‘Everlast White’.2. Plants of the newGerberahave larger inflorescences than plants of ‘Everlast White’.3. Plants of the newGerberahave semi-double type inflorescences whereas plants of ‘Everlast White’ have single type inflorescences.4. Plants of the newGerberahave thicker scapes than plants of ‘Everlast White’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in a glass-covered greenhouse during the winter in De Kwakel, The Netherlands and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial containerGerberaproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 19° C. to 26° C. and night temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 18° C. Rooted young tissue-cultured plants were planted in 19-cm containers and had been growing for six months when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, 2007, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.Botanical classification:Gerbera jamesonii‘Flocave’.Parentage:Female, or seed, parent.—Gerbera jamesonii‘Lovely Disc’, not patented.Male, or pollen, parent.—Gerbera jamesonii‘Moana’, not patented.Propagation:Type.—By tissue culture.Time to initiate roots.—About 2.5 weeks at temperatures of 20° C.Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About five to six weeks at temperatures of 20° C. to 26° C.Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; dense.Plant description:Appearance.—Herbaceous semi-double type Gerbera; compact, upright and uniformly mounding plant habit; arching leaves arranged in basal rosettes; dense and bushy habit; moderately vigorous growth habit.Plant height.—About 63.5 cm.Plant width.—About 71.3 cm.Foliage description:Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.Length.—About 35.6 cm.Width.—About 17.2 cm.Shape.—Runcinate; lanceolate to narrowly elliptic in outline.Apex.—Obtuse to abruptly obtuse.Base.—Acuminate.Margin.—Pinnately lobed with coarse and irregular sinuses, lobes divergent; undulate.Texture, upper surface.—Sparsely pubescent.Texture, lower surface.—Moderately pubescent; woolly.Venation pattern.—Pinnate.Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 141A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B to 137C. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137B; venation, close to 144B to 144C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Between 137D and 138B; venation, close to 144B.Petioles.—Length: About 13.4 cm. Diameter: About 5.5 mm. Texture, upper surface: Sparsely pubescent. Texture, lower surface: Moderately pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144B.Inflorescence description:Appearance.—Semi-double type inflorescence form with narrowly oblanceolate-shaped ray florets; solitary inflorescences borne on upright, strong and relatively short scapes above the foliar plane; ray and disc florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.Fragrance.—None detected.Flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about four months after planting and flower from early spring to the end of the summer in outdoor gardens in The Netherlands. Plants flower year-round under greenhouse conditions.Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about two weeks on the plant; inflorescences persistent.Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit with about eight open and developing inflorescences per plant at one time.Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About 3.6 cm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 144B.Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 11.1 cm. Depth (height): About 3.8 cm. Diameter of disc: About 4.2 cm. Receptacle height: About 9 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 9 mm Receptacle color: Close to NN155C.Ray florets.—Orientation: Initially upright, then about 75° from vertical. Length: About 5.1 cm. Width: About 9.5 mm. Shape: Narrowly oblanceolate. Apex: Obtuse to emarginate. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; longitudinally ridged. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 120 arranged in about four whorls. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to NN155A to NN155B. When opening, lower surface: Close to 150D; towards the base, close to 157D. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to NN155C. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 150D; towards the base, close to 157D.Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle. Shape: Tubular, fused. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 4.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 500. Color, immature: Apex: Close to 65B to 65C. Mid-section and base: Close to N155A. Color, mature: Apex: Close to 65D. Mid-section and base: Close to N155A.Pappus.—Quantity per floret: About 50. Length: About 8 mm Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Texture: Soft. Color: Between N77A and 187A.Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 96 in about three whorls. Length: About 1.4 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Densely tomentose. Color, upper surface: Close to 143A; apices, close to 144A. Color, lower surface: Close to 137B; apices, close to 143B.Scapes.—Length: About 48.9 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Angle: Erect. Texture: Densely tomentose. Color: Close to 144B; towards the apex, close to 137B.Reproductive organs.—Androecium: (present on disc florets only) Quantity per floret: Two. Filament length: About 6 mm. Filament color: Close to NN155C. Anther shape: Lanceolate. Anther length: About 4 mm Anther color: Close to 12B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 12A. Gynoecium: (present on ray and disc florets) Quantity per floret: One. Pistil length: About 1.1 cm. Stigma shape: Rounded; curved. Stigma color: Close to 155D. Style length: About 1 cm. Style color: Close to NN155C. Ovary color: Close to 145D.Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common toGerberashas not been observed on plants of the newGerberagrown under commercial conditions.Temperature tolerance: Plants of the newGerberahave been observed to tolerate temperatures from about 1° C. to about 35° C.