Patent Publication Number: US-PP28984-P3

Title: Coleus plant named ‘SAKCOL020’

Description:
Genus and species:  Solenostemon  sp. 
     Variety denomination: ‘SAKCOL020’. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT 
     The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of coleus, botanically known as  Solenostemon  sp., and hereinafter referred to by the variety name ‘SAKCOL020’. 
     ‘SAKCOL020’ originated from a cross-pollination conducted in October 2012 in Kakegawa, Japan among multiple plants of six unpatented proprietary coleus lines designated ‘0-8C-3A-1B-5B-11D-3’, ‘12TH-2’, ‘12C-3’, ‘12M-4’, ‘12H-5’ and ‘12TL-1’. The cross-pollination was conducted in a cage using bees. 2,000 seeds were harvested from the ‘12M-4’ plants. The seeds harvested from the ‘12M-4’ plants are composed of hybrid seeds and self-pollinated seeds. 
     The seeds obtained from the ‘12M-4’ plants were sown and a single plant selection designated ‘L2013-CO145’ was selected for its multi-colored leaf pattern displaying red and dark purple leaves, and light green margin with an erect plant habit and wavy leafs. The breeder confirmed that ‘L2013-CO145’ was fixed and stable. ‘L2013-CO145’ was subsequently named ‘SAKCOL020’. 
     The new plant was first asexually propagated in 2013 in Japan and has been asexually reproduced by vegetative cuttings for almost three years in Japan. The present invention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations by vegetative cuttings. 
     ‘SAKCOL020’ has not been made publicly available or sold more than one year prior to the filing date of this application. 
     SUMMARY OF THE NEW PLANT 
     The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of the new variety when grown under normal horticultural practices in Salinas, Calif.
         1. Large leaves; and   2. Red and dark purple leaves with green and yellow margins.       

    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS 
       This new coleus plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs which show the overall plant habit, and foliage of a plant aged 7 months old. The colors are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. 
         FIG. 1  shows the whole plant, including habit and foliage. 
         FIG. 2  shows a close-up of the foliage. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY 
     The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘SAKCOL020’. The data which defines these characteristics were collected from plants grown 7 months from transplant into 4-inch pots from rooted cuttings in Salinas, Calif., under greenhouse conditions. Color references are to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 4 th  edition. Anatomic labels are from  The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Botanical Terms , by M. Hickey and C. King, Cambridge University Press.
     Classification:
             Family .—Lamiaceae.     Botanical name.—Solenostemon  sp.     Common name .—Coleus.     Denomination. —‘SAKCOL020’.       
       Plant:
             Type .—Annual.     Habit .—Compact, erect.     Form .—Compact and dense and well branched. 10 main lateral branches, 15 total.     Height.— 30.0 cm.     Spread.— 44.0 cm.     Propagation type .—Vegetative cuttings.       
       Environmental conditions for plant growth: The terminal 1.0 to 1.5 inches of an actively growing stem was excised. The vegetative cuttings were propagated for five to six weeks. The base of the cuttings were dipped for 1 to 2 seconds in a 1:9 solution of DIP &#39;N GROW (1 solution: 9 water) root inducing solution immediately prior to sticking into the cell trays. Cuttings were stuck into plastic cell trays having 98 cells, and containing a moistened peat moss-based growing medium. The cuttings were misted with water from overhead for 10 seconds every 30 minutes until sufficient roots were formed. Rooted cuttings were transplanted and grown in 20 cm diameter plastic pots in a glass greenhouse located in Salinas, Calif. Pots contained a peat moss-based growing medium. Soluble fertilizer containing 20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 20% potassium was applied once a day or every other day by overhead irrigation. Pots were top-dressed with a dry, slow release fertilizer containing 20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 18% potassium. The typical average air temperature was 24 degrees C.   Lateral branches:
             Length.— 25.5 cm.     Diameter.— 6.0 mm to 7.0 mm.     Internode length.— 2.5 cm to 3.0 cm.     Strength .—Branches separate easily.     Aspect .—Large.     Shape in cross - section .—Almost square.     Texture .—Very slight pubescent.     Pubescence color .—RHS N155A (White).     Flowering branch .—Present.       
       Leaves:
             Arrangement .—Opposite.     Length.— 8.5 cm.     Width.— 5.5 cm.     Broadest part of the leaf blade .—Middle.     Shape .—Cordate.     Apex .—Lanceolate.     Base .—Cordate.     Margin .—Crenate, very pronounced, very wavy.     Texture, upper and lower surfaces .—Very slight pubescence, with strong blistering.     Venation pattern .—Closest to reticulate, with extreme netting at mid-vein.     Vein color, upper surface .—RHS N77A (Purple).     Vein color, lower surface .—RHS 145C (Yellow-Green).     Petiole length.— 2.5 cm to 4.0 cm.     Petiole diameter.— 4.0 mm.     Petiole color .—RHS 145A (Yellow-Green).     Variegation .—Present.     Leaf color .—Multicolored, color is mostly maroon with yellow to green at leaf margin. Developing foliage, upper surface: RHS N77A (Purple) with RHS 59A (Red-Purple) at mid-vein, and RHS 143A (Green) at margin. Developing foliage, lower surface: RHS 147B (Yellow-Green) with RHS 145C (Yellow-Green) at mid-vein, with blotches of RHS 59A (Red-Purple) towards mid-vein, no netting at mid-vein. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: RHS N77A (Purple) with mid-vein: RHS N77A (Purple), Center: closest to RHS 183C (Greyed-Purple), with RHS 143A (Yellow-Green) at edge. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: RHS 147B (Yellow-Green), with blotches of RHS 59A (Red-Purple) at center mid-vein &amp; netting: RHS 145C (Yellow-Green).       
       Flowers:
             Color .—RHS 92A (Violet-Blue) with RHS 155C (White) at base.       
       Temperature tolerance: 2 degrees C. to 35 degrees C.   Disease or insect resistance: No disease or insect resistance observed.   

     COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL LINES AND KNOWN VARIETY 
     ‘SAKCOL020’ is a new and distinct cultivar of coleus owning to its unique multicolored leaf pattern and compact, erect habit. It is distinguished from its parents as described in Table 1 below. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Comparison with Parental Lines 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                 Plant 
               
               
                 Parental lines 
                 Leaf color, upper surface 
                 habit 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 ‘0-8C-3A-1B- 
                 Inner leaf: rose color; Outer leaf: dark brown  
                 Erect 
               
               
                 5B-11D-3’ 
                 with green edge and large leaves. 
                   
               
               
                 ‘12TH-2’ 
                 Inner leaf: dark brown; Outer leaf: green with  
                 Creeping 
               
               
                   
                 small leaves. 
                   
               
               
                 ‘12C-3’ 
                 Leaf color is yellow-green with rose colored  
                 Creeping 
               
               
                   
                 veins with small leaves. 
                   
               
               
                 ‘12M-4’ 
                 Inner leaf: dark brown; Outer leaf: red with  
                 Erect 
               
               
                 (female parent) 
                 light green edge with wavy leaves 
                   
               
               
                 ‘12H-5’ 
                 Leaf color are shades red with a dark green  
                 Erect 
               
               
                   
                 edge and large leaves. 
                   
               
               
                 ‘12TL-1’ 
                 Inner leaf: dark brown; Outer leaf: rose with  
                 Creeping 
               
               
                   
                 small leaves. 
               
               
                   
               
               
                   
                   
                 Plant 
               
               
                 Subject variety 
                 Leaf color 
                 habit 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 ‘SAKCOL020’ 
                 RHS N77A (Purple) with mid-vein: RHS  
                 Erect 
               
               
                   
                 N77A (Purple), Center: closest to RHS 183C  
                   
               
               
                   
                 (Greyed-Purple), with RHS 143A (Yellow- 
                   
               
               
                   
                 Green) at edge. 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     ‘SAKCOL020’ is most similar to the commercial variety ‘Burgundy Wedding Train’, also known as ‘Kakegawa CE10’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,003); however, there are differences as listed in Table 2 below. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
             
            
               
                   
               
               
                 Comparison with Similar Variety 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                 Charac- 
                   
                   
               
               
                 teristic 
                 ‘SAKCOL020’ 
                 ‘Kakegawa CE10’ 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Leaf color,  
                 RHS N77A (Purple) with mid-vein:  
                 Multi-color; base is 
               
               
                 upper  
                 RHS N77A (Purple), Center: closest  
                 RHS 77A (purple); 
               
               
                 surface 
                 to RHS 183C (Greyed-Purple), with  
                 edge is 
               
               
                   
                 RHS 143A (Yellow-Green) at edge. 
                 RHS 143B (green). 
               
               
                 Leaf color,  
                 RHS 147B (Yellow-Green), with 
                 Base is RHS 59A 
               
               
                 lower  
                 blotches of RHS 59A (Red-Purple)  
                 (red-purple); edge 
               
               
                 surface 
                 at center mid-vein &amp; netting: RHS  
                 is RHS 139C 
               
               
                   
                 145C (Yellow-Green) 
                 (green) 
               
               
                 Plant  
                 Compact, Erect 
                 Semi-creeping 
               
               
                 growth  
                   
                   
               
               
                 habit