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

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named &#8216;Kibetio&#8217;, characterized by its dark pink-colored flowers with light lavender eye; freely flowering habit with flowers positioned above or beyond the foliage; rounded, somewhat upright and compact plant habit; freely branching growth habit; bushy appearance; leaves that are somewhat upright in aspect; dark green and somewhat glossy; and relative resistance to Botrytis.

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 Kibetio.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program by the 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 made by the Inventor of the Impatiens hawkeri selection identified as DE 29, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent, with the Impatiens hawkeri selection identified as BP 330, not patented, as the female, or seed parent. The cultivar Kibetio was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Gensingen, Germany in April, 1997.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Gensingen, Germany, 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 Kibetio . These characteristics in combination distinguish Kibetio as a new and distinct Impatiens cultivar:

1. Dark pink-colored flowers with light lavender eye.

2. Freely flowering habit with flowers positioned above or beyond the foliage.

3. Rounded, somewhat upright and compact plant habit.

5. Leaves that are somewhat upright in aspect; dark green and somewhat glossy.

6. Relatively resistant to Botrytis.

Compared to plants of the female parent, the selection BP 330, plants of the new Impatiens are more compact and have larger flowers with a more pronounced eye. Compared to plants of the male parent, the selection DE 29, plants of the new Impatiens are more vigorous, have glossier green foliage and flower color is brighter pink.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the cultivar Delias, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,838. Plants of the new Impatiens differ from plants of the cultivar Delias in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens are more vigorous and bushier than plants of the cultivar Delias.

2. Leaves of the new Impatiens are more upright in aspect than leaves of the cultivar Delias.

3. Flower color of the new Impatiens is more intense pink with a lighter eye than flower color of the cultivar Delias.

4. Plants of the new Impatiens are more resistant to Botrytis than plants of the cultivar Delias.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the cultivar Tahiti, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,601. Plants of the new Impatiens differ from plants of the cultivar Tahiti in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens are less vigorous than plants of the cultivar Tahiti.

2. Leaves of the new Impatiens are more upright in aspect, smaller and glossier than leaves of the cultivar Tahiti.

3. Flower color of the new Impatiens is more intense pink with a lighter eye than flower color of the cultivar Tahiti.

4. Plants of the new Impatiens have larger flowers than plants of the cultivar Tahiti.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Kibetio has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, water status and fertility level, without, however, any variance in genotype. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif., during the late spring and early summer, under commercial practice in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse with day temperatures about 24 C., night temperatures about 20 C., and light levels generally about 2,750 foot-candles. Plants used in the following description were about 16 weeks old and grown in 21.5-cm containers with three plants per container.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Commercial classification: New Guinea Impatiens cultivar Kibetio.

Male parent. Impatiens hawkeri selection identified as DE 29, not patented.

Female parent. Impatiens hawkeri selection identified as BP 330, not patented.

Time to initiate roots. Summer: About 15 days at 22 C. Winter: About 20 days at 20 C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner. Summer: About 21 days at 22 C. Winter: About 25 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 6 to 7 lateral branches at the base, dense and bushy growth. Pinching, that is, removal of the terminal apices, is typically not required. Moderately vigorous to vigorous.

Crop time. From an unrooted cutting, about 16 weeks are required to produce finished flowering plants.

Flower type and flowering habit. Single dark pink flowers with light pink eye. Freely flowering, usually about 9 flowers and flower buds per lateral branch. Flowers positioned above and beyond the foliage and typically face upward or outward. Flowers somewhat cupped and squarish to circular in shape. Flowers last about 10 days on the plant depending on temperature and weather conditions. Petals self-cleaning; gynoecium persistent. 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 1.7 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 62A.

Seed development. Seed development has not been observed.

Disease resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have been observed to be relatively resistant to Botrytis.