A distinct cultivar of Mandevilla plant named &#8216;Red Velvet Petite&#8217;, characterized by its compact growth habit; short internodes; relatively small, glossy, dark green leaves; flowers that are dark pink in color when temperatures are less than 29&deg; C. and intensify to red in color when temperatures are greater than 29&deg; C.; and tolerance to low and high temperatures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Mandevilla plant, botanically known as Mandevilla hybrid , and hereinafter referred to by the name Red Velvet Petite .

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hawthorne, Fla. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new compact Mandevilla cultivars with attractive and unique flower colors.

The new cultivar originated from a cross-pollination of the Mandevilla hybrid cultivar PSJAM LP1, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,611, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed selection of Mandevilla hybrid , not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent in Hawthorne, Fla., in November, 1996. The new cultivar was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny from this cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Hawthorne, Fla., in 1999. The new cultivar was selected on the basis of its compact growth habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in Hawthorne, Fla, since spring, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Mandevilla are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Red Velvet Petite have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, daylength, humidity, water status and/or fertilizer rate and type without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of Red Velvet Petite . These characteristics in combination distinquish Red Velvet Pettite as a new and distinct cultivar:

4. Flowers that are dark pink in color when temperatures are less than 29 C. and intensify to red in color when temperatures are greater than 29 C.

5. Tolerance to low and high temperatures.

Plants of the new Mandevilla differ primarily from plants of the female parent cultivar PSJAM LP1 in flower color as flowers of plants of the cultivar PSJAM LP1 are light pink in color. In addition, in side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hawthorne, Fla., plants of the new cultivar had smaller leaves and shorter internodes than plants of the cultivar PSJAM LP1. Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the male selection primarily in flower color.

Plants of the new Mandevilla can be compared to plants of the cultivar Red Velvet, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/664,134. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hawthorne, Fla., plants of the new Mandevilla had smaller leaves, shorter internodes and smaller and fewer flowers than plants of the cultivar Red Velvet.

Plants of the new Mandevilla can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Alice DuPont, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hawthorne, Fla., plants of the new Mandevilla had smaller leaves, shorter internodes and smaller flowers than plants of the cultivar Alice DuPont. In addition, plants of the new cultivar and the cultivar Alice DuPont differ in flower color.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

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. Plants used for this description were about six to eight months old and grown in one-gallon containers in a clear polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Hawthorne, Fla. during the spring. Day temperatures ranged from 29 to 35 C., and night temperatures ranged from 13 to 18 C.

Time to initiate roots, winter. About 30 days at 21 C.

Time to develop roots, summer. About 60 days at 29 to 35 C.

Time to develop roots, winter. About 70 to 80 days at 24 C.

Form. Perennial evergreen flowering plant; twining vine; initially upright, then vining, requires support to maintain upright habit. Plants are typically pinched about 3 months after planting to enhance lateral branch development; potentially two lateral branches form at every node.

Flower type and habit. Single salverform flower; terminal or axillary; flowers face mostly outward. Flowers self-cleaning. Freely flowering, more than 30 flowers per plant develop during the flowering season.

Natural flowering season. Spring until frost in the autumn; flowering continuous.

Flower longevity on the plant. About one week.

Seed. Seed production has not been observed.

Disease resistance: Plants of the new Mandevilla have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens common to Mandevilla.

Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Mandevilla have been observed to be tolerant to rain and wind and tolerant to temperatures from 1 to higher than 43 C.