Patent Publication Number: US-7554-P

Title: Pagodatree `Halka`

Description:
The accompanying photographs depict the color of the foliage of my new variety as nearly true as is resonably possible to make the same in a color illustration of this character. 
     FIG. 1 is a color photograph of a two year old tree of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a color photograph of leaves of the tree of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a color photograph of a trunk of the tree of the present invention showing the numerous small lenticels thereon; and 
     FIG. 4 is a color photograph of the underside of a leaflet from a tree of the present invention showing its pubescence. 
    
    
     The growth rate of my new variety of tree has proven to be greater than that of seedling pagodatrees, but less than that for the Regent pagodatree variety. As previously mentioned, Regent pagodatrees suffer from the drawback of growing too fast for proper management in a nursery in the view of many nurserymen. In addition, the leaves and leaflets of my new variety are both longer and wider than the leaves and leaflets of the seedling variety of pagodatrees, but smaller in both dimensions than the leaves and leaflets of the Regent variety of pagodatree. Moreover, the length to width ratio of the leaflets of my tree have proven to be higher than that of either the seedling pagodatrees or Regent pagodatree variety. Also, my tree has extremely small, numerous lenticels which dot the stem or trunk. Observations of the lenticels of my new variety have confirmed them to be much more numerous than those of the seedling and Regent pagodatree varieties, although the differences between my new variety and the seedling variety are not as great as the differences between my new variety and the Regent variety. 
     Table I, below, sets forth a comparison of characteristics of my new variety of pagodatree to the corresponding characteristics of seedling pagodatrees and Regent variety pagodatrees. To obtain the leaf measurements, observations were made of ten leaves from each variety with the measurements being averaged. In addition, ten trees of each variety were compared to confirm the observations concerning lenticels of the varieties. Of course, it is always possible for an individual leaf or leaflet or a tree to deviate from these averages, but these observations do confirm the distinctive nature of my new variety of pagodatree. 
     
                       TABLE I                                                     
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Comparison of Growth Rate                                                 
Leaf &amp; Leaflet Sizes and Lenticels                                        
          New Variety                                                     
                    Seedling  Regent                                      
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1 yr. tree  2.45    m       1.79 m    2.75  m                             
height                                                                    
1 yr. caliper                                                             
            1.98    cm      1.19 cm   2.21  cm                            
at base                                                                   
Leaf Length 23.4    cm      20.6 cm   26.8  cm                            
Leaf Width  13.2    cm      8.3  cm   14.9  cm                            
Leaflet Length                                                            
            6.5     cm      3.9  cm   7.45  cm                            
Leaflet width                                                             
            2.77    cm      1.93 cm   3.79  cm                            
Leaflet Length                                                            
            2.34            2.02      1.96                                
/Width ratio                                                              
Lenticels per                                                             
            18.9            14.3      9.9                                 
inch, measurements                                                        
taken 36&#34; below                                                           
1 yr. tree top                                                            
Lenticel size,                                                            
            1-2     mm,     1/2-1                                         
                                 mm,  2-8   mm,                           
shape       rounded to oval                                               
                        oval      rounded                                 
                                  to oval                                 
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     In addition, an analysis of the branching characteristics of two year old trees of my new variety showed them to be of a better form than seedling pagodatrees or Regent pagodatrees. Two year old branch trees of my new variety have a quite uniform branch angle of 45 to 60 degrees while two year old Sophora japonica `Regent` trees have been observed to have branch angles of from 30 to 90 degrees. Ideal branches on a two year old pagodatree are generally between 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch in thickness at the base. Smaller branches tend to be too weak while heavier branches tend to become too dominant, competing with the central leader of a tree and interfering with the symmetry of the tree. This difference may explain why pagodatrees of my new variety appear to grow straighter than the Regent pagodatrees. Table II, below, compares the distribution of branches of various sizes of two year old trees of my new variety of pagodatree, seedling pagodatrees, and Regent variety pagodatree. The branches of ten trees of each type were compared to determine this distribution. 
     
                       TABLE II                                                    
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Branch Size Distribution on                                               
Two Year Old Trees                                                        
Caliper New Variety    Seedling Regent                                    
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0-1/4&#34;  13%            53%      24%                                       
1/4&#34;-3/8&#34;                                                                 
        31%            32%      27%                                       
3/8&#34;-1/2&#34;                                                                 
        56%            15%      29%                                       
1/2&#34;-1&#34;  0%             0%      20%                                       
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     In generating Tables I and II, a comparison was made of tree of the specified varieties growing in the J. Frank Schmidt &amp; Son Co. nursery in Independence, Oreg. 
     The underside of the leaflets of my new variety vary from moderately to heavily pubescent. In comparison, the underside of the leaflets on seedling pagodatrees of the species vary from sparsely appressed pubescent to nearly glabrous. 
     Otherwise, so far as I have observed at this time, my new variety of pagodatree is generally typical of the species. 
     The following is a detailed description of my new variety of Sophora japonica tree, with color terminology in accordance with The Royal Horticultural Society colour chart (hereinafter R.H.S.), published by The Royal Horticultural Society of London. 
     Parentage: A chance seedling of unknown parentage. 
     Propagation: Holds to distinguishing characteristics through succeeding propagation by budding. 
     Localities where grown and observed: Englishtown, N.J. and Independence, Oreg. 
     Tree: Dense, rounded crown with up-sweeping branches. 
     Growth rate: Relatively fast growth rate which is greater than that of seedling pagodatrees but which is slower than that of Regent pagodatrees grown under comparable conditions in a nursery. 
     Bark color: One and two-year old stems are green (like R.H.S. 137a to 139a). By the fifth year they are grayed-green (similar to R.H.S. 194a). 
     Branch angle: Two-year old branch trees have a quite uniform branch angle of about between 45°-60°. 
     Foliage: 
     Leaves.--Pinnately compound, with large glossy leaflets, moderately to heavily pubescent on the underside. 
     Leaf size.--Length -- typically about 23.4 cm; Breadth typically about 13.2 cm; (dimensions are averages of measurements taken from 10 leaves). 
     Leaflet size.--Length -- typically about 6.5 cm; Breadth typically about 2.8 cm (dimensions are averages of measurements taken from 10 leaves). 
     Leaflet shape.--Ovate to oblong ovate. 
     Leaflet margin.--Entire. 
     Leaflet tip.--Acute. 
     Leaflet base.--Rounded. 
     Number of leaflets.--13 to 15. 
     Branches and Trunk.--Numerous small lenticels of rounded to oval shape lenticel color: Orange-white (similar to R.H.S. 159a to 159b). 
     Color.--The leaf summer color is a yellow-green (similar to R.H.S. 147a). In the fall, the leaves turn to a yellow color (similar to R.H.S. 11a.).