Poinsettia plant named `Eckadolfo`

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named `Eckadolfo`, characterized by its dark coral pink bracts; green. light green and light yellow variegated leaves; compact, upright and spreading plant habit; very freely branching habit; and excellent postproduction 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 `Eckadolfo`.
 The new Poinsettia is a naturally-occurring mutation of the commercial
 Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar `Beckmanns Altrosa`, disclosed in
 U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,336. The new Poinsettia was selected by the Inventor
 in a greenhouse in Encinitas, Calif., in 1997. The objective of the
 Inventor's Poinsettia development program is to create new Poinsettia
 cultivars having interesting bract and leaf display, desirable bract and
 foliage color and form, strong and freely branching stems and good
 post-production longevity.
 Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings taken at
 Encinitas, Calif., 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 `Eckadolfo`. These characteriestics in
 combination distinguish `Eckadolfo` as a new and distinct cultivar:
 1. Dark coral pink bracts.
 2. Green, light green and light yellow variegated leaves.
 3. Compact, upright and spreading plant habit.
 4. Very freely branching habit.
 5. Excellent postproduction longevity.
 In side-by-side comparison conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the
 new Poinsettia differed from plants of the parent cultivar, `Beckmanns
 Altrosa`, primarily in leaf coloration as leaves of plants of `Beckmanns
 Altrosa` are not variegated.
 The new Poinsettia can be compared to the nonvariegated commercial cultivar
 `Peterstar Pink`, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,879. In side-by-side
 comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia
 differed from plants of `Peterstar Pink` in the following characteristics:
 1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are more compact, have shorter laterals and
 more rounded in plant shape than plants of `Peterstar Pink`.
 2. Plants of the new Poinsettia have slightly larger and flatter
 inflorescences than plants of `Peterstar Pink`.
 3. Flower bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia and `Peterstar Pink`
 differ in color.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
 The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possible environmental
 conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment
 such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any
 variance in genotype. The following observations and measurements describe
 plants grown in Encinitas, Calif., under commercial practice in a
 polyethylene-covered greenhouse with day temperatures about 22 to
 24.degree. C., night temperatures about 16 to 18.degree. C., and light
 levels about 4,000 foot-candles. Plants were grown in 16.5-cm pots,
 pinched one time, and flowered under naturally lengthening nights during
 the fall/early winter.
 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.
 Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. `Eckadolfo`.
 Parentage: Naturally-occurring mutation of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.
 cultivar `Beckmanns Altrosa`, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,336.
 Propagation:
 Type cutting.--Terminal cuttings.
 Time to initiate roots.--Summer: About 12 to 18 days at 26 to 28.degree. C.
 Winter: About 15 to 18 days at 24.degree. C.
 Time to develop roots.--Summer: About 26 days at 26 to 28.degree. C.
 Winter: About 26 days at 24.degree. C.
 Rooting habit.--Thick, freely branching, becoming fibrous with development.
 Plant description:
 Plant form.--Inverted triangle, top of plant rounded; mounding.
 Growth habit.--Compact, upright and spreading. Very freely branching.
 Branching is enhanced by removing the shoot apex.
 Plant vigor.--Moderate.
 Plant height.--About 21 cm.
 Crop time.--From unrooted cuttings to a flowering plant in a 16.5-cm
 container, about 17 weeks are required.
 Stem description.--Number of lateral branches: About eight or nine lateral
 branches are formed after removal of the terminal apex. Lateral branch
 length: About 15 cm. Internode length: About 1.75 cm. Stem color: 146A.
 Foliage description.--Quantity of leaves per lateral branch: About 7.
 Length: About 10.5 cm. Width: About 6.75 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate, very
 occasionally lobed. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire but some
 irregular indentations. Texture: Smooth, velvety, somewhat rugose. Mostly
 glabrous with very slight pubescence on lower surface. Color: Variegated;
 tri-colored with green, light green and light yellow coloration. Green
 colors towards center of leaf with light yellow coloration towards
 margins. Young foliage, upper surface: 138A, 138B and 4C. Young foliage,
 lower surface: 138B and 4C. Mature foliage, upper surface: 137A, 138B and
 4C. Mature foliage, lower surface: 138A and 4C. Venation, upper surface:
 145A. Venation, lower surface: 138D. Petiole: Length: About 6.25 cm.
 Diameter: About 2 mm. Color: Upper surface, 50C; lower surface, 138B.
 Inflorescence description:
 Inflorescence type and habit.--Inflorescences are compound corymbs of
 cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia.
 Natural flowering season.--Autumn/winter in Northern Hemisphere. Flower
 initiation and development can be induced under long night conditions.
 Response time is about 8.5 weeks.
 Quantity of inflorescences.--One per lateral branch, usually about eight
 per plant.
 Inflorescence size.--Diameter: About 30 cm. Height (depth): About 4.5 cm.
 Flower bracts.--Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence: Usually about
 16 primary bracts and about 6 smaller secondary bracts per inflorescence.
 Length, largest bracts: About 15 cm. Width, largest bracts: About 10 cm.
 Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture:
 Somewhat rugose becoming smoother with development. Aspect: Mostly flat.
 Color: Developing, upper surface: 50A. Developing, lower surface: 50B.
 Mature, upper surface: 51A; fading to 51B with subsequent development.
 Mature, lower surface: 39C.
 Cyathia.--Quantity: Usually about 15 per corymb. Diameter of cyathia
 cluster: About 2.5 by 3.5 cm. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 5 mm.
 Color: Immature: 144A. Mature: 144B. Peduncle: Length: About 4 mm. Aspect:
 Strong, erect. Color: 144B. Stamens: Stamen number: Very numerous,
 typically more than 20 per cyathium. Anther size: Less than 1 mm. Anther
 shape: Oval. Anther color: 26C. Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollen color:
 10B. Pistils: Pistil number: 1. Pistil length: About 8 mm. Style length:
 About 4 mm. Style color: 144B to 144C. Stigma color: 45B. Nectary color:
 23A. Seed set: Not observed.
 Disease resistance: No fungal, bacterial nor viral problems observed on
 plants grown under commercial conditions.
 Postproduction longevity: Generally plants maintain good substance and
 bract color for about six weeks under interior conditions.