Patent Publication Number: US-PP20333-P2

Title: Petunia plant named ‘Fort Purple Vein’

Description:
Botanical designation:  Petunia×hybrida.    
   Cultivar denomination: ‘Fort Purple Vein’. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia,  botanically known as  Petunia×hybrida  and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fort Purple Vein’. 
   The new  Petunia  is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely-branching  Petunia  cultivars with early and freely flowering habit, and unique and attractive flower color. 
   The new  Petunia  originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2006 in De Lier, The Netherlands of two unnamed proprietary seedling selections of  Petunia×hybrida,  not patented. The new  Petunia  was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands in 2006. 
   Asexual reproduction of the new  Petunia  by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands since 2007, has shown that the unique features of this new  Petunia  are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Plants of the new  Petunia  have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices 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 ‘Fort Purple Vein’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fort Purple Vein’ as a new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia:  
         1. Upright to outwardly spreading and mounded growth habit.   2. Freely branching habit.   3. Freely flowering habit.   4. Large light violet-colored flowers with prominent dark violet-colored venation.   5. Good garden performance.       

   Plants of the new  Petunia  can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new  Petunia  differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Petunia  are more outwardly spreading than and not as upright as plants of the female parent selection.   2. Plants of the new  Petunia  and the female parent selection differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection have pink-colored venation.       

   Plants of the new  Petunia  can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new  Petunia  differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in time to flower as plants of the new  Petunia  flower earlier than plants of the male parent selection. 
   Plants of the new  Petunia  can be compared to plants of  Petunia×hybrida  ‘Fortunia Blue Vein’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new  Petunia  differed from plants of ‘Fortunia Blue Vein’ in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Petunia  were more upright than plants of ‘Fortunia Blue Vein’.   2. Flowers of plants of the new  Petunia  had more pronounced venation than flowers of ‘Fortunia Blue Vein’.       

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH 
     The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new  Petunia,  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 accurately describe the colors of the new  Petunia.  The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Fort Purple Vein’ grown in a container. 
   

   DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION 
   The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in De Lier, The Netherlands, under commercial practice during the spring and early summer in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and night temperatures averaging 18° C. Rooted young plants had been growing for twelve weeks when the photograph and description were taken. Plants used for the description were grown in 10.5-cm containers. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.
     Botanical classification:  Petunia×hybrida  ‘Fort Purple Vein’.   Parentage:
             Female, or seed, parent.— Unnamed proprietary seedling selection of  Petunia×hybrida,  not patented.     Male, or pollen, parent.— Unnamed proprietary seedling selection of  Petunia×hybrida,  not patented.       
       Propagation:
             Type.— By terminal cuttings.     Time to initiate roots, summer.— About five to seven days at temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.     Time to initiate roots, winter.— About six to eight days at temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.     Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.— About 14 to 19 days at temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.     Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.— About two to three weeks at temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.     Root description.— Fine; white in color.     Rooting habit.— Freely branching; moderately dense.       
       Plant description:
             Plant and growth habit.— Upright to outwardly spreading and mounding growth habit. Freely branching habit with about six primary lateral branches each with multiple secondary lateral branches; pinching is typically not required. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     Plant height.— About 14 cm.     Plant diameter.— About 28 cm.       
       Lateral branch description:
             Length.— About 16 cm.     Diameter.— About 2 mm to 3 mm.     Internode length.— About 1 mm to 1.5 mm.     Strength.— Moderately strong.     Aspect.— Initially upright to outwardly spreading.     Texture.— Densely pubescent; viscid.     Color.— Close to 144B.       
       Leaf description:
             Arrangement.— Alternate, simple; sessile.     Length.— About 3.5 cm.     Width.— About 2.1 cm.     Shape.— Ovate.     Apex.— Acute.     Base.— Attenuate.     Margin.— Entire.     Texture, upper and lower surfaces.— Densely pubescent; viscid.     Venation pattern.— Pinnate; arcuate.     Color.— Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 138A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 138A; venation, close to 144B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 143B; venation, darker than 143B.       
       Flower description:
             Flower arrangement and habit.— Relatively large salverforn flowers arranged singly arising from leaf axils. Freely flowering habit with usually about 50 flowers developing per plant. Flowers not persistent. Flowers face upright to outwardly.     Fragrance.— None detected.     Natural flowering season.— Plants flower continuously from spring into the autumn in The Netherlands. Plants typically beginning flowering about 6.5 weeks after planting.     Flower longevity.— Individual flowers last about five days on the plant. Flowers persistent.     Flower diameter.— About 5 cm.     Flower length  ( height ).—About 5.5 cm.     Throat diameter.— About 1.3 cm.     Tube length.— About 3 cm.     Tube diameter, base.— About 4 mm.     Flower bud.— Shape: Narrowly oblanceolate. Length: About 3.7 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Color: Close to 149B overlain with close to 79B.     Corolla.— Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat: About 5.5 cm. Petal lobe width: About 2.8 cm. Petal shape: Spatulate. Petal apex: Retuse. Petal margin: Entire. Petal lobe texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Petal, when opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 85D; venation, close to 83A. Petal, when opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 85C; venation, between 83C and 79A. Throat: Darker than 83A; venation, close to N79A. Tube: Close to 83A; venation, close to N79A.     Calyx.— Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five sepals fused at the base per flower. Sepal length: About 1.9 cm. Sepal width: About 4 mm. Sepal shape: Narrowly oblong. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal base: Cuneate. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent; viscid. Color, immature and mature, upper surface: Close to 143A. Color, immature and mature, lower surface: Close to 143B.     Peduncles.— Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Angle: Erect to about 40° from stem axis. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Densely pubescent; viscid. Color: Close to 144B.     Reproductive organs.— Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five. Filament length: About 2 cm. Filament color: Between 157B and 156B. Anther shape: Broadly reniform. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 162A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 158A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 2 cm. Style length: About 1.3 cm. Style color: Close to 144B. Stigma shape: Flattened, three-lobed. Stigma color: Close to 137A. Ovary color: Close to 144C.     Fruits/seeds.— Fruit and seed development have not been observed on plants of the new  Petunia.          
       Garden performance: Plants of the new  Petunia  have been observed to have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C.   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new  Petunia  have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to  Petunia.