Patent Publication Number: US-PP16218-P2

Title: Phlox plant named ‘Barthirtyone’

Description:
Botanical designation:  Phlox paniculata.    
   Cultivar denomination: ‘Barthirtyone’. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of  Phlox  plant, botanically known as  Phlox paniculata , and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Barthirtyone. 
   The new  Phlox  is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new compact pot-type  Phlox  cultivars with numerous flowers with attractive leaf and flower coloration. 
   The new  Phlox  originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of  Phlox paniculata  identified as code number 93.44.05.05, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of  Phlox paniculata  identified as code number 94.05, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new  Phlox  was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. 
   Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings since 2002 in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of this new  Phlox  are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Plants of the cultivar Barthirtyone have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, daylength, and fertility level without, however, any variance in genotype. 
   The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Barthirtyone’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Barthirtyone’ as a new and distinct cultivar:
         1. Upright and compact plant habit.   2. Freely branching growth habit.   3. Violet-colored flowers.   4. Freely flowering habit.   5. Good garden performance.       

   Plants of the new  Phlox  differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in flower coloration. 
   Plants of the new  Phlox  can be compared to plants of the  Phlox paniculata  cultivar Barten, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,802. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands, plants of the new  Phlox  differed from plants of the cultivar Barten primarily in flower color as plants of the cultivar Barten had lavender-colored flowers. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH 
     The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall apperance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which more accurately describe the actual colors of the new  Phlox . The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Barthirtyone’ grown in an outdoor nursery. 
   

   DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION 
   The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands, in an outdoor nursey under commercial production practices during the summer. Plants were about three months old when the photograph and description were taken. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 20° C. and night temperatures averaged 15° C. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.
     Botanical classification:  Phlox paniculata  cultivar Barthirtyone.   Parentage:
             Female parent.— Proprietary selection of  Phlox paniculata  identified as code number 93.44.05.05, not patented.     Male parent.— Proprietary selection of  Phlox paniculata  identified as code number 94.05, not patented.       
       Propagation:
             Type cutting.— Vegetative cuttings.     Time to initiate rotos, summer.— About three weeks at 25° C.     Time to initiate roots, winter.— About four weeks at 18° C.     Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.— About five weeks at 25° C.     Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.— About six to seven weeks at 18° C.     Root description.— Thick, fleshy; white in color.     Rooting habit.— Freely branching; moderately dense.       
       Plant description:
             Plant form/habit.— Upright and compact plant habit; narrow inverted triangle. Feely branching with about ten lateral branches per plant.     Plant height.— About 50 cm.     Plant width  ( spread ).—About 30 cm.     Lateral branches.— Length: About 10 cm. Diameter: About 5 to 8 mm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.     Foliage description.— Arrangement: Alternate, simple; sessile. Length: About 8 cm. Width: About 4 cm. Shape: Oblong to elliptic. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; leathery. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and fully developed leaves, upper surface: 141A. Developing and fully developed leaves, lower surface: 137B. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.       
       Flower description:
             Flower type/habit.— Single, rounded salverform flowers arranged in terminal panicles; panicles globular to pyramidal in form; flowers face upright and outward. Freely flowering habit with about 35 to 70 flower buds and open flowers per panicle.     Fragrance.— Typical of species.     Natural flowering season.— Continuously flowering from spring through fall in The Netherlands. Flowers not persistent.     Postproduction longevity.— Flowers last about four days on the plant.     Flower buds.— Height: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Color: 88C.     Inflorescence height.— About 10 cm.     Inflorescence diameter.— About 10 cm.     Flower diameter.— About 3 cm.     Flower length.— About 1 cm.     Petals.— Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single whorl; petals fused at the base into a narrow tube. Length (including tube): About 2.5 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Aspect: Mostly flat. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing petals, upper and lower surfaces: 88C. Fully expanded petals, upper and lower surfaces: 88C; towards the base, 88D; color becoming closer to 88D with development. Throat: 74A. Tube: 88C.     Sepals.— Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single whorl, fused; narrow tubular calyx. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: 137A overlain with 58A. Color, lower surface: 137A.     Pedicels.— Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 to 2 mm. Orientation: Upright to about 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Color: 137A.     Reproductive organs.— Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically five. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color: 155A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 155D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: Typically one. Pistil length: About 2.5 cm. Stigma shape: Tri-parted. Stigma color: 154D. Style length: About 2.5 cm. Style color: 154D. Ovary color: 137A.       
       Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new  Phlox  have been noted to be resistant to Powdery Mildew. Plants of the new  Phlox  have not been noted to be resistant to other pathogens and pests common to  Phlox.      Garden performance: Plants of the new  Phlox  have been observed to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and temperatures ranging from 0 to about 35° C.