Patent Publication Number: US-PP28823-P3

Title: Coleus plant named ‘SAKCOL018’

Description:
Genus and species:  Solenostemon  sp. 
     Variety denomination: ‘SAKCOL018’. 
     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 ‘SAKCOL018’. 
     ‘SAKCOL018’ originated from a cross-pollination conducted in October 2012 in Kakegawa, Japan in 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. Seven-hundred seeds were harvested from the ‘12TH-2’ plants. The seeds harvested from the ‘12TH-2’ plants are composed of hybrid seeds and self-pollinated seeds. 
     The seeds obtained from the ‘12TH-2’ plants were sown and a single plant selection designated ‘L2013-CO015’ was selected for its multi-colored leaf pattern with a dark brown inner leaf color, green outer leaf color, creeping plant habit, and small leaves. The breeder confirmed that ‘L2013-CO015’ was fixed and stable. ‘L2013-CO015’ was subsequently named ‘SAKCOL018’. 
     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. 
     ‘SAKCOL018’ 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. Medium leaves; and   2. Pink and purple leaves with green 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 ‘SAKCOL018’. 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.— ‘SAKCOL018’.       
       Plant:
             Type.— Annual.     Habit.— Semi-trailing.     Form.— Compact, 2 main branches, 6 secondary branches.     Height.— 14.0 cm.     Spread.— 31.0 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.— 17.0 cm to 18.5 cm.     Diameter.— 6.0 mm to 8.0 mm.     Internode length.— 1.3 cm to 2.4 cm.     Strength.— Branches separate easily.     Aspect.— Large.     Shape in cross - section.— Square.     Texture.— Very slight pubescent.     Pubescence color.— RHS N155A (White).     Flowering branch.— Absent.       
       Leaves:
             Arrangement.— Opposite.     Length.— 4.5 cm.     Width.— 3.7 cm.     Broadest part of the leaf blade.— Middle.     Shape.— Cordate.     Apex.— Lanceolate.     Base.— Cordate.     Margin.— Crenate.     Texture, upper surface.— Very slight pubescence, soft with very slight blistering.     Texture, lower surface.— Soft with pronounced venation, glabrous.     Venation pattern.— Reticulate.     Vein color, upper surface.— RHS 59A (Red-Purple).     Vein color, lower surface.— Closest to RHS 145D (Yellow-Green).     Petiole length.— 2.2 cm.     Petiole diameter.— 2.0 mm.     Petiole color.— Closest to RHS 154A (Yellow-Green).     Petiole texture.— Very slight pubescent.     Variegation.— Present.     Leaf color.— Multicolored, bright pink at center, with blotches of dark green/maroon then bright green towards leaf margin. Upper surface: Closest to RHS 59C (Red-Purple) with blotches closest to RHS 200A (Black) with slight RHS 147A (Yellow-Green) increasing towards margin, and RHS 143A (Yellow-Green) at leaf margin. Lower surface: Closest to RHS147B (Yellow-Green) with blotches of 59A (Red-Purple) towards mid vein with most mature foliage having a blotch closest to RHS 27A (Orange) at base.       
       Reproductive organs: No flowers observed.   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 
     ‘SAKCOL018’ is a new and distinct cultivar of coleus owning to its unique multicolored leaf pattern and compact and dense semi-creeping habit. It is distinguished from its parents as described in Table 1 below. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Comparison with Parental Lines 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                 Plant 
               
               
                 Parental lines 
                 Leaf color 
                 habit 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 ‘0-8C-3A-1B-5B-11D-3’ 
                 Inner leaf: rose color;  
                 Erect 
               
               
                   
                 Outer leaf: dark brown with  
                   
               
               
                   
                 green edge and large leaves. 
                   
               
               
                 ‘12TH-2’ (female 
                 Inner leaf: dark brown; Outer  
                 Creeping 
               
               
                 parent) 
                 leaf: green with small leaves. 
                   
               
               
                 ‘12C-3’ 
                 Leaf color is yellow-green  
                 Creeping 
               
               
                   
                 with rose colored veins with  
                   
               
               
                   
                 small leaves. 
                   
               
               
                 ‘12M-4’ 
                 Inner leaf: dark brown; Outer  
                 Erect 
               
               
                   
                 leaf: red with light green edge  
                   
               
               
                   
                 with wavy leaves 
                   
               
               
                 ‘12H-5’ 
                 Leaf color are shades red with  
                 Erect 
               
               
                   
                 a dark green edge and large  
                   
               
               
                   
                 leaves. 
                   
               
               
                 ‘12TL-1’ 
                 Inner leaf: dark brown; Outer  
                 Creeping 
               
               
                   
                 leaf: rose with small leaves. 
               
               
                   
               
               
                   
                   
                 Plant 
               
               
                 Comparison 
                 Leaf color 
                 habit 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 ‘SAKCOL018’ 
                 Closest to RHS 59C (Red-Purple)  
                 Semi- 
               
               
                   
                 with blotches closest to RHS  
                 creeping 
               
               
                   
                 200A (Black) with slight RHS  
                   
               
               
                   
                 147A (Green) increasing  
                   
               
               
                   
                 towards margin, and RHS 143A  
                   
               
               
                   
                 (Yellow-Green) at leaf margin. 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     ‘SAKCOL018’ 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 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                 ‘Kakegawa 
               
               
                 Characteristic 
                 ‘SAKCOL018’ 
                 CE10’ 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Leaf color,  
                 Closest to RHS 59C (Red-Purple)  
                 Multi-color; base 
               
               
                 upper surface 
                 with blotches closest to RHS 200A  
                 is RHS 77A 
               
               
                   
                 (Black) with slight RHS 147A  
                 (purple); edge is 
               
               
                   
                 (Green) increasing towards margin,  
                 RHS 143B 
               
               
                   
                 and RHS 143A (Yellow-Green) at 
                 (green). 
               
               
                   
                 leaf margin. 
                   
               
               
                 Leaf color,  
                 Closest to RHS 147B (Yellow-Green) 
                 Base is RHS 59A 
               
               
                 lower surface 
                 with blotches of 59A (Red-Purple) 
                 (red-purple); 
               
               
                   
                 towards mid vein with most mature 
                 edge is RHS 
               
               
                   
                 foliage having a blotch closest to  
                 139C (green) 
               
               
                   
                 RHS 27A (Orange) at base 
                   
               
               
                 Plant growth  
                 Compact, Semi-creeping 
                 Semi-creeping 
               
               
                 habit