Patent Publication Number: US-PP21751-P2

Title: Verbena plant named ‘Britena’

Description:
Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed:  Verbena×hybrida.    
     Varietal denomination: ‘Britena’. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT 
     The present invention comprises a new distinct cultivar of  Verbena,  botanically known as  Verbena×hybrida.    
     The new  Verbena×hybrida  is a product of a planned breeding program conducted in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. 
     A new  Verbena  plant particularly distinguished by its rose flowers with a purple center fading to white flowers with a purple center, early flowering, a habit that is first semi-erect and later spreading. 
     The new cultivar is propagated from cuttings resulting from the open pollination of ‘G0809-2’ and an unknown parent. ‘G0809-2’ is an apricot flowering  Verbena  having a spreading habit. ‘G0809-2’ is not commercially available and is not known by any synonyms. ‘G0809-2’ has not been patented. The male parent is unknown. 
     As a result of this open pollination the present cultivar was created in 2004 in Enkhuizen, Netherlands and has been repeatedly asexually reproduced by cuttings in Enkhuizen, Netherlands and Sarrians, France over a three year period. It has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations, and this novelty appears to be firmly fixed. 
     This new  Verbena  plant is an annual in most climatical zones in the US, only in zones 9 and 10 it is a perennial plant. 
     A Plant Breeder&#39;s Right for this cultivar was applied for in the European Union on Nov. 12, 2008. ‘Britena’ has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing of this application. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       This new  Verbena  plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographic drawing which shows blooms, buds and foliage of the plant in full colour, the colour shown being as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR 
     The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of this new  Verbena.  The data which defines these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The plant history was taken on 14 week old plants, blossomed under natural light in a greenhouse. Color readings were taken in the greenhouse under ambient light. 
     Color references are primarily to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
             
            
               
                   
               
               
                 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ‘BRITENA,’ ITS PARENTS AND 
               
               
                 THE MOST RESEMBLING VARIETY 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                   
                 ‘Escapade Bright 
               
               
                   
                 ‘Britena’ 
                 ‘G0809-2’ 
                 Eye’ (Not patented) 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Earliness 
                 Early 
                 Early 
                 Late 
               
               
                 Internode length 
                 Short 
                 Short 
                 Long 
               
               
                 Main color 
                 Fading rose to pink 
                 No eye 
                 White with violet 
               
               
                   
                 with purple eye 
                   
                 eye 
               
               
                 Vigor 
                 Compact 
                 Very compact 
                 Very vigorous 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
         
         The Plant:
             Classification botanical.—Verbena×hybrida.        Parentage. —Female parent: ‘G0809-2’. Pollen parent: Unknown.     Growth habit. —Semi-upright, later trailing.     Plant height.— 23-36 cm.     Spreading area of plant.— 30-45 cm.     Growth rate. —Hanging and vigorous.     Branching character. —Freely branching and lateral branching at every node.     Blooming period. —From April until November.       
     
         The stem:
             Diameter. —2.5-3 mm.     Shape. —Tetragonal.     Anthocyanin pigmentation. —Absent.     Color.— 37B.     Length of internode.— 22-42 mm, depending on the light where the plant is propagated.     Pubescence. —Pubescence is present.       
     
         The foliage:
             Phyllotaxis. —Opposite.     Shape of blade. —Broadly ovate.     Texture. —Upper side: Pubescent. Lower side: Pubescent.     Venation. —Pinnate.     Leaf margin. —Dentate.     Leaf base. —Obtuse.     Leaf apex. —Acute.     Length.— 25-33 mm.     Width.— 18-22 mm.     Depth of incision.— 3 mm.     Color.— Upper side: 137B. Lower side: 137C.     Pubescence. —Some pubescence is present on both surfaces.     Length of leaf stem.— 2-3 mm.     Petiole surface structure. —Slightly pubescent.     Petiole color.— Upper side: 137B. Lower side: 137B.       
     
         The bud:
             Peduncle length. —32-40 mm, depending on season.     Peduncle color. —137B.     Size. —Diameter: 2 mm. Length: 8-13 mm.     Shape. —Elongated and ovate.     Colour. —137B.     Surface texture. —Some pubescence is present.     Sepals. —Color Upper side: 138B. Lower side: 137C. Form: Upright. Number: 5, fused. Size: 4.5 mm. Shape: Elongated.       
     
         The flower:
             Facing direction. —Upward.     Outward curvature of petal. —Slightly curved.     Diameter.— 16 mm.     Height.— 16-18 mm.     Borne. —In a cluster.     Form. —Salverform; sessile on terminal spikes.     Cluster. —Spike.     Color. —N66A fading to N155D and in the center N81A.     Eye.— N81A.     Overlapping of petals. —Separate.     Number of petals. —Gamopetalous, 5 lobed.     Shape of the petals. —Each petal is heart shaped at the apex and grown together at the base.     Petal margin. —Entire.     Petal surface texture. —Upper side: Smooth. Lower side: Smooth.     Size of the petal. —Length: 6-7 mm. Width: 5-7 mm.     Spike. —Length: 25-30 mm. Diameter: 30-50 mm.     Calyx length.— 8-9 mm.     Anthocyanin pigmentation of calyx limb. —Absent.     Color of the calyx. —Upper side: 137B. Lower side: 137C.     Corolla tube length.— 16 mm.     Corolla tube color. —Upper side: N66A. Lower side: 14A.     Number of flowers per spike.— 14-28.     Diameter of the inflorescence spike.— 4.2 cm.     Fragrance. —No fragrance.     Lastingness of the bloom. —New florets continue to open in one spike over a period of 10 days.     Lastingness of one flower.— 5 days on the plant and 3 hours off the plant.       
     
         Reproductive organs:
             Androecium. —Stamens quantity: 4. Anther shape: Ovoid. Anther length: 1 mm. Anther color: 144C. Pollen amount: Scarce pollen. Pollen color: 145D.     Gynoecium. —Pistils quantity: 1. Pistil length: 18-22 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-lobed. Stigma color: 144C. Style length: 14-18 mm. Style color: 144D. Ovary color: 144C.
 
No seed set is observed.
       
     
         Physiological and ecological characteristics: Good tolerance to heat and cold, from 2 to 35 degrees C. No resistance to diseases common in  Verbena  is observed.