Patent Publication Number: US-PP21015-P2

Title: Gypsophila plant named ‘Esm Cold’

Description:
Botanical designation:  Gypsophila hybrida.    
   Cultivar denomination: ‘Esm Cold’. 
   CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATION  
   Applicant: Aloysius A. Hooijman. 
   Title:  Gypsophila  Plant Named ‘Esm Alicia’. 
   U.S. Plant Patent Application Filed Concurrently. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of  Gypsophila  plant, botanically known as  Gypsophila hybrida , grown commercially as a cut flower, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Esm Cold’. 
   The new  Gypsophila  is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely flowering  Gypsophila  cultivars with many petals per flower and straight stems. 
   The new  Gypsophila  originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador in February, 2003 of a proprietary selection of  Gypsophila hybrida  identified as Line 146, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of  Gypsophila hybrida  identified as Line 31, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Esm Cold was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador. 
   Asexual reproduction of the new  Gypsophila  by cuttings in a controlled environment in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador since December, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new  Gypsophila  are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The cultivar Esm Cold 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 traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Esm Cold’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Esm Cold’ as a new and distinct cultivar of  Gypsophila:  
         1. Erect and strong flowering stems.   2. Early, uniform and freely flowering habit.   3. Semi-double white-colored flowers.   4. Good postproduction longevity.       

   In side-by-side comparisons conducted in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador, plants of the new  Gypsophila  differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Gypsophila  had shorter and stronger flowering stems than plants of the female parent selection.   2. Plants of the new  Gypsophila  had larger flowers than plants of the female parent selection.       

   In side-by-side comparisons conducted in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador, plants of the new  Gypsophila  differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Gypsophila  and the male parent selection differed slightly in flower color.   2. Plants of the new  Gypsophila  were more freely flowering than plants of the male parent selection.       

   Plants of the new  Gypsophila  can be compared to plants of the  Gypsophila  cultivar Esm Alicia, disclosed in a U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,479. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador, plants of the new  Gypsophila  differed from plants of the cultivar Esm Alicia in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Gypsophila  were shorter than plants of the cultivar Esm Alicia.   2. Plants of the new  Gypsophila  had shorter internodes than plants of the cultivar Esm Alicia.   3. Flower petals of plants of the new  Gypsophila  were not as luminous white in color as flower petals of plants of the cultivar Esm Alicia.       

   Plants of the new  Gypsophila  can also be compared to plants of the  Gypsophila  cultivar Dangypflash, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,422. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador, plants of the new  Gypsophila  differed from plants of the cultivar Dangypflash in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Gypsophila  were shorter and more narrow than plants of the cultivar Dangypflash.   2. Plants of the new  Gypsophila  had shorter internodes than plants of the cultivar Dangypflash.   3. Plants of the new  Gypsophila  had shorter leaves than plants of the cultivar Dangypflash.       

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS 
     The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new  Gypsophila . These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new  Gypsophila . The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Esm Cold’. The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers of ‘Esm Cold’. 
   

   DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION 
   In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador during the winter in ground beds in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial cut  Gypsophila  production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 11° C. to 28° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 11° C. Plants were pinched one time about four weeks after planting and were grown under long day/short day conditions. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical six-month old flowering plants.
     Botanical classification:  Gypsophila hybrida  cultivar Esm Cold.   Commercial classification: Cut flower  Gypsophila.      Parentage:
             Female, or seed, parent.— Proprietary selection of  Gypsophila hybrida  identified as Line 146, not patented.     Male, or pollen, parent.— Proprietary selection of  Gypsophila hybrida  identified as Line 31, not patented.       
       Propagation:
             Type.— By cuttings.     Time to initiate roots.— About 16 to 21 days at 17° C. to 25° C.     Time to produce a rooted cutting.— About five to six weeks at 17° C. to 25° C.     Root description.— Fine; 161C in color.     Rooting habit.— Freely branching.       
       Plant description:
             Appearance.— Perennial cut flower. Erect and strong flowering stems; inverted triangle form. Freely flowering; many-petalled luminous white-colored flowers arranged in symmetrical and moderately dense compound cymes. Vigorous growth habit.     Branching habit.— After pinching, about 15 flowering stems develop per year.     Plant height.— About 90 cm.     Plant diameter or spread.— About 70 cm.     Flowering stems.— Length: About 85 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Internode length: About 6.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Glabrescent. Color: 138B.       
       Foliage description:
             Arrangement.— Opposite, decussate, simple; sessile.     Length.— About 4.8 cm.     Width.— About 1.4 cm.     Shape.— Lanceolate.     Apex.— Acute.     Base.— Cuneate.     Margin.— Entire.     Texture, upper and lower surfaces.— Smooth, glabrous; waxy.     Venation pattern.— Parallel.     Color.— Developing foliage, upper surface: 147A. Developing foliage, lower surface: 136A. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Between 139A and 147A; venation, 147A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147A; venation, 143A.       
       Flower description:
             Flower arrangement and habit.— Symmetrical compound cymes with numerous many-petalled white-colored flowers, flowers rotate. Very freely flowering, about 1,300 flowers per inflorescence. Flowers face mostly upright.     Flowering response.— In Ecuador, plants flower year round. Plants begin flowering about 16 weeks after planting.     Post-production longevity.— As a cut flower, flowers last for about eleven days. Flowers persistent.     Fragrance.— Slightly fragrant; pleasant.     Inflorescence height.— About 85 cm.     Inflorescence diameter.— About 42 cm.     Flower diameter.— About 1.3 cm.     Flower depth  ( height ).—About 6 mm.     Flower buds.— Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Shape: Nearly globose. Color: 157A and 197A.     Petals/petaloids.— Quantity per flower: About 62 arranged in clusters. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Oval to spatulate. Apex: Truncate, emarginate or obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; waxy. Color: When opening and fully opening, upper surface: Close to N155D; towards the base, close to 144A; color becoming closer to 155A with development. When opening and fully opening, lower surface: Close to N155D.     Sepals.— Quantity per flower: About seven to ten fused to form a cup-shaped calyx. Length: About 3.4 mm. Width: About 2.3 mm. Shape: Roughly linear. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When developing, upper surface: 137B. When developing, lower surface: 137A. Fully developed, upper surface: 146A. Fully developed, lower surface: 148A.     Peduncles.— Length: About 3.4 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Strength: Strong. Angle: About 38° from vertical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 146C.     Pedicels.— Length: About 7.5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Strength: Strong. Angle: About 45° from vertical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 147A.     Reproductive organs.— Stamens: Quantity per flower: Ten. Anther shape: Reniform to globose. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: 155A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 155A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 5.3 mm. Style length: About 4.1 mm. Style color: Close to N155D. Stigma shape: Curved apiculate. Stigma color: Close to N155D. Ovary color: 144C; occasionally towards the apex, 183A. Seed/fruit: Seed and fruit production has not been observed.       
       Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new  Gypsophila  have not been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to  Gypsophila.      Temperature tolerance:   

   Plants of the new  Gypsophila  have been observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 7° C. to about 30° C.