Patent Publication Number: US-PP28821-P3

Title: Scaevola plant named ‘Bonsca 1433’

Description:
Botanical designation:  Scaevola aemula.    
     Cultivar denomination: ‘BONSCA 1433’. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of  Scaevola  plant, botanically known as  Scaevola aemula  and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bonsca 1433’. 
     The new  Scaevola  plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact, spreading and early-flowering  Scaevola  plants with numerous attractive flowers. 
     The new  Scaevola  plant originated from an open-pollination in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia in March, 2013 of a proprietary selection of  Scaevola aemula  identified by the code number 13-37, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown proprietary selection of  Scaevola aemula , as the male, or pollen, parent. The new  Scaevola  plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia on Mar. 4, 2014. 
     Asexual reproduction of the new  Scaevola  plant by vegetative tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since March, 2014 has shown that the unique features of this new  Scaevola  plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Plants of the new  Scaevola  have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature 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 ‘Bonsca 1433’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bonsca 1433’ as a new and distinct  Scaevola  plant:
         1. Compact and spreading plant habit.   2. Freely branching habit.   3. Early and freely flowering habit.   4. Long flowering period.   5. Deep pink-colored flowers.   6. Good container and garden performance.       

     Plants of the new  Scaevola  can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new  Scaevola  differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flowering habit as plants of the new  Scaevola  are more freely flowering than plants of the female parent selection. 
     Plants of the new  Scaevola  can be compared to plants of the  Scaevola aemula  ‘Bomy Pinka’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,943. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new  Scaevola  differ from plants of the ‘Bomy Pinka’ in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Scaevola  are more spreading than and not as trailing as plants of ‘Bomy Pinka’.   2. Plants of the new  Scaevola  have smaller leaves than plants of ‘Bomy Pinka’.   3. Plants of the new  Scaevola  flower earlier than plants of ‘Bomy Pinka’.   4. Plants of the new  Scaevola  are more freely flowering than plants of ‘Bomy Pinka’.   5. Plants of the new  Scaevola  and ‘Bomy Pinka’ differ in flower petal color as plants of ‘Bomy Pinka’ have light pink-colored flower petals.       

    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS 
       The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new  Scaevola  plant showing 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  Scaevola  plant. 
       The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonsca 1433’ grown in a container. 
       The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonsca 1433’. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION 
     The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the late summer in 20-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial  Scaevola  production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 25° C. Plants were three months old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.
     Botanical classification:  Scaevola aemula  ‘Bonsca 1433’.   Parentage:
             Female, or seed, parent .—Proprietary selection of  Scaevola aemula  identified as code number 13-37, not patented.     Male or pollen parent .—Unknown proprietary selection of  Scaevola aemula , not patented.       
       Propagation:
             Type .—By vegetative tip cuttings.     Time to initiate roots, summer .—About ten days at temperatures about 21° C. to 25° C.     Time to initiate roots, winter .—About 15 days at temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.     Time to develop roots, summer .—About three weeks at temperatures about 21° C. to 25° C.     Time to develop roots, winter .—About four weeks at temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.     Root description .—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.     Rooting habit .—Freely branching; medium density.       
       Plant description:
             Plant and growth habit .—Compact and spreading plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit.     Branching habit .—Freely branching habit with lateral branches potentially forming at every node; pinching enhances branching potential.     Plant height .—About 28.8 cm.     Plant diameter  ( area of spread ).—About 72.4 cm.       
       Lateral branch description:
             Length .—About 28.3 cm.     Diameter .—About 2.6 mm.     Internode length .—About 2.6 cm.     Aspect .—Upright to outwardly.     Texture .—Pubescent; rough.     Color .—Close to 138B.       
       Leaf description:
             Arrangement .—Alternate, simple; sessile.     Length .—About 3.2 cm.     Width .—About 1.7 cm.     Shape .—Spatulate.     Apex .—Acute.     Base .—Cuneate.     Margin .—Serrate.     Texture, upper and lower surfaces .—Sparsely pubescent; rough.     Venation pattern .—Pinnate, reticulate.     Color .—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to N137B. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137D; venation, close to 137D. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation, close to 138B.       
       Flower description:
             Flower type and shape .—Zygomorphic, semi-circular, fan-shaped flowers with five petals fused at the base to form a tubular flower throat; flower throat open along the upper surface exposing the reproductive organs.     Flower arrangement and quantity .—Solitary sessile flowers arising from upper leaf axils; flowers mostly horizontal; freely flowering habit with typically about 2,900 flowers developing per plant during the flowering season.     Flowering time .—Early flowering habit, plants begin flowering after about four weeks after planting; long flower period, plants flower continuously from spring to autumn in Japan.     Flower longevity .—Flowers typically last about a week on the plant; flowers not persistent.     Fragrance .—Present, pleasant.     Flower buds .—Length: About 1.75 cm. Diameter: About 2.1 mm. Shape: Lenticular. Color: Close to 70B.     Flowers .—Diameter: About 1.4 cm by 2.45 cm. Depth: About 11.5 mm. Throat diameter: About 4.2 mm. Tube length: About 1.1 cm. Tube diameter, distally: About 2.7 mm. Tube diameter, proximally: About 2 mm.     Petals .—Quantity per flower: Five, fused at base. Length, beyond tube: About 1.2 cm. Width, beyond tube: About 4.1 mm. Shape: Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Cuspidate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, throat: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, tube: Pubescent; rough. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 71A. When opening, lower surface: Close to 70B. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to N74B; towards the throat, close to NN155B; color becoming closer to 77B with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 72D; midrib, close to N74A. Throat, distally: Close to N144A. Throat, proximally: Close to N144B; venation, close to 59A. Tube: Close to 150C; venation, close to N77A.     Sepals .—Quantity per flower: Two. Length: About 4.3 mm. Width: About 1.3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; rough. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 138A.     Reproductive organs .—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower: Five. Filament length: About 3.1 mm. Filament color: Close to 199C. Anther size: About 1.5 mm by 0.8 mm. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to 199D. Pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 4D. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 1.1 cm. Style color: Close to 145D, distally tinged with close to 71A. Stigma color: Close to 199B. Ovary color: Close to 144C.     Seeds and fruits .—Seed and fruit development have not been observed on plants of the new  Scaevola.          
       Garden performance: Plants of the new  Scaevola  have been observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 40° C.   Pathogen &amp; pest resistance: Plants of the new  Scaevola  have not been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to  Scaevola  plants.