A new and distinct selection of Mandevilla.times.amabilis cultivar Monite characterized by its unique combination of pale pink buds and pale pink flowers which display a showy cluster of pink petaloids within the flower throat appearing as a pink flower within a larger pale pink flower.

This invention relates to a new and distinct selection of
 Mandevilla.times.amabilis (Hort. Bach.) Dress., reputed to be a hybrid of
 Mandevilla speldens.times.Mandevilla crassinoda and a member of the
 Apocynaceae family. Mandevilla.times.amabilis cultivar Monite was the
 result of a sport observed on a Mandevilla.times.amabilis cultivar Alice
 du Pont (not patented) plant in April 1997. This novelty of a flower
 within a flower which botanically are the petaloids within the throat of
 the flower, was what the selection was based on. My discovery was made at
 Sperling Landscape & Supply, 24460 Calabalas Road, Calabalas, Calif. My
 new selection has been asexually reproduced at 18331 East Foothill
 Boulevard, Azusa, Calif. exclusively by tissue culture since the
 discovery. Had this sport not been discovered and propagated, it may have
 been lost to mankind. It is unlikely this particular select and favourable
 attribute of this plant could be conveyed to progeny through sexual
 reproduction in the next generation. Through extensive tissue culture
 propagation it has been established that the novel exceptional
 characteristics of this plant are stable and reliably passed on to clonal
 specimens through asexual reproduction.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 Mandevilla.times.amabilis cv. Monite was selected for its showy cluster of
 pink petaloids within the flower throat appearing as a pink flower within
 a larger pale pink flower. Prior to my discovery, only
 Mandevilla.times.amabilis with either single flowers such as
 Mandevilla.times.amabilis c.v. Alice du Pont (not patented), c.v. Monte
 U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,329, and c.v. White Delite U.S. Plant Pat. No.
 8,479 along with the recently introduced double c.v. Rita Marie Green U.S.
 Plant Pat. No. 11,787 were widely grown. None of these cultivars display
 showy petaloids that remain within the throat of the flower. My selection
 cultivar Monite will tolerate a 30.degree. F. temperature, which is
 equivalent to U.S.D.A. hardiness zone ten, but does require frost
 protection.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
 Below is a detailed description of a 2 year old plant of
 Mandevilla.times.amabilis cultivar Monite. The color terminology is from
 The Royal Horticultural Color Charts. Descriptions are from containerized
 plants grown in temperatures ranging from 35.degree. F. to 105.degree. F.
 in Azusa, Calif.
 Overall habit: Tropical twining vine.
 Overall size: Average height is 5 meters, may achieve height to 6-7 meters.
 Similar in overall size to other Mandevilla.times.amabilis cultivars.
 Root development: Nine weeks from agar media to fully rooted through tissue
 culture process.
 Heat/drought tolerance: Thrives in temperatures 75.degree. F. to
 105.degree. F. with ample soil moisture. Prefers roots and base in shaded
 situation.
 Pest/disease resistance: Similar to `Alice du Pont` variety, susceptible to
 red spider mites.
 FOLIAGE
 Leaf arrangement: Opposite.
 Type: Evergreen.
 Shape: Elliptic.
 Length: 10 cm to 16.5 cm.
 Width: 5 cm to 7 cm.
 Margins: Entire.
 Apex: Short acuminate to tapered long acuminate.
 Base: Cordate.
 Texture: Coriaceous.
 Venation: Lightly sunken veins appearing slightly bullate, one ribbed,
 secondary venation perpendicular to primary vein, curving upward.
 Color:
 Mature foliage.--Upper Leaf Surface: Green Group 137A. Lower Leaf Surface:
 Yellow Green Group 146B. Upper Midrib: Yellow Green Group 144B. Lower
 Midrib: Yellow Green Group 145C.
 Juvenile foliage.--Upper Leaf Surface: Yellow Green Group 146B. Lower Leaf
 Surface: Yellow Green Group 146B, 146C mixed with 63B Red Purple Group.
 Upper Midrib: Yellow Green Group 146D. Lower Midrib: Yellow Green Group
 145D mixed with Red Purple Group 63B.
 PETIOLE
 Length: 8 mm to 12 mm.
 Diameter: 4 mm to 6 mm.
 Color: Yellow Green Group 144B to Green Group 138B.
 STEM
 Diameter: 4 mm on new growth to 14 mm on mature growth.
 Color: Juvelile, Yellow Green Group 144A; Mature Grey Brown Group 199A.
 Internode length: Grown in full sun, varies 4 to 8 cm.
 Internode texture: Smooth on mature stems, pubescent on juvenile stem.
 FLOWERS
 Arrangement: Axillary raceme, 16 to 24 flowers per raceme.
 Bloom season: Flowers produced Spring through Fall.
 Number of flowers at anthesis: generally 2-3 flowers opened on each raceme
 during bloom season.
 Structure: Funnel shaped.
 Outer.--5 parted corolla limbs.
 Inner.--5 parted petaloids.
 Bud:
 Length.--5.5 cm to 6 cm.
 Width.--1.6 cm to 2 cm.
 COROLLA
 Shape at anthesis: Corolla lobes overlap, with a length of 15 mm to 20 mm
 in depth where the lobes do not overlap.
 Width: 8.5 cm to 10 cm.
 Length of throat from calyx to corolla limb attachment: 4 cm-4.5 cm.
 Length of corolla from calyx to top of corolla: 5 cm-6 cm.
 Margins: Entire.
 Texture: Glabrous.
 Individual corolla limbs: 3.5 cm-4.5 cm long 3 cm-4 cm wide.
 Shape: Asymmetrical lobes with straight margin on one side, rounded on
 opposite side, overlapping.
 CALYX
 Sepal number: 5.
 Length: 5 mm length, 2-3 mm in width at base, narrowing to 1 mm at tip.
 Shape: Wide acicular.
 Texture: Glabrous.
 Color: Yellow Green Group 145A, tip edged with Red Purple Group 63B.
 PETALOIDS
 Number: Derived from 5 vestriges of stamens. Petaloid number approximately
 10-15 lobes.
 Individual petaloid length: 3-3.5 cm.
 Individual petaloid width: 2-4 cm.
 Texture: Glabrous.
 Petaloid attachment: 1.4-1.7 cm above the top of calyx, petaloids sometimes
 joined at base or maybe separated the first 3 mm then usually joined
 together at minimum 5 mm-1.2 cm in length overall shape: petaloids are
 tightly clustered and appear within the corolla throat not exceeding 1 cm
 above corolla limb attachment exhibiting "a flower within a flower".
 Individual petaloid shape: Varying in shape with obovate broad deeply cut
 showy petaloids attached to reminants with little or no vestige of stamen
 visible and showy broad petaloids.
 Color:
 Bud.--Closed prior to anthesis Red-Purple 62B at tips and margins, Red
 Purple 65D outside corolla tube suffused with Yellow Green 145D lower 2 to
 2.5 cm of corolla tube.
 Corolla and petaloids.--Red Purple 65B & C on margins lightening in color
 to Red Purple 65D suffused with White Group 155D with tips of corolla
 lobes and tips of petaloids tinged with Red-Purple 65D.
 Corolla throat.--Slightly darkened striations of Red-Purple 65C changing to
 Yellow Group 4B at inner 12 mm of base (not visible on illustration).
 Petaloid throat.--Margins appear the darkest shade of Red Purple 65B and
 65C as do the stamen vestiges and portion above the Yellow base (not
 visible on illustration). Changing to Yellow Group 4B at inner base, 7 mm
 of bottom.
 Lastingness of bloom.--Minimum of five days.
 Fragrance.--No fragrance.
 REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURES
 Pistil: Superior.
 Style: Generally present 10 to 15 mm in length, 1 mm to 2 mm in width
 Color: Yellow Green Group 145B.
 Stigma: Visible, 2 mm long, 2 mm width Color: Yellow Green Group 145C.
 Stamens: Absent or vestiges of stamens present surrounded by showy
 petaloids (see description of petaloids).
 Fruit: None observed--to date my new selection has not produced fruit/seed.