Patent Publication Number: US-PP28802-P3

Title: Euphorbia plant named ‘Bonpri 1049’

Description:
Botanical designation:  Euphorbia pulcherrima  Willd. ex Klotzsch× Euphorbia cornastra.    
     Cultivar denomination: ‘BONPRI 1049’. 
     CROSS-REFERENCED TO CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Title:  Euphorbia  Plant Named ‘BONPRI 1069’ 
     Applicant: Andrew Bernuetz 
     Filed: Concurrently with this application 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of  Euphorbia  plant, an interspecific hybrid botanically known as  Euphorbia pulcherrima  Willd. ex Klotzsch× Euphorbia cornastra , and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Bonpri 1049’. 
     The new  Euphorbia  plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the program is to create and develop new interspecific  Euphorbia  plants with compact, upright and mounded plant habit and attractive flower bracts. 
     The new  Euphorbia  plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of  Euphorbia pulcherrima  Willd. ex Klotzsch× Euphorbia cornastra  ‘Bonpri 515’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,587. The new  Euphorbia  plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of ‘Bonpri 515’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia on Mar. 1, 2012. 
     Asexual reproduction of the new  Euphorbia  plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since March, 2012 has shown that the unique features of this new  Euphorbia  plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Plants of the new  Euphorbia  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, daylength 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 ‘Bonpri 1049’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bonpri 1049’ as a new and distinct  Euphorbia  plant:
         1. Compact, upright and mounded plant habit.   2. Vigorous growth habit.   3. Freely branching habit.   4. Dark green-colored leaves.   5. Freely flowering habit.   6. Inflorescences with bright red purple-colored flower bracts.   7. Good post-production longevity.       

     In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new  Euphorbia  differ primarily from plants of the mutation parent, ‘Bonpri 515’ in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Euphorbia  are more compact than plants of ‘Bonpri 515’.   2. Plants of the new  Euphorbia  are more freely branching than plants of ‘Bonpri 515’.   3. Plants of the new  Euphorbia  have smaller leaves than plants of ‘Bonpri 515’.   4. Plants of the new  Euphorbia  are more freely flowering than plants of ‘Bonpri 515’.   5. Inflorescences of plants of the new  Euphorbia  have fewer flower bracts than inflorescences of plants of ‘Bonpri 515’.   6. Flower bracts of plants of the new  Euphorbia  resist fading better than flower bracts of plants of ‘Bonpri 515’.       

     Plants of the new  Euphorbia  can be compared to plants of the  Euphorbia pulcherrima  Willd. ex Klotzsch× Euphorbia cornastra  ‘Bonpri 1069’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 14/999,328. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new  Euphorbia  differ primarily from plants of ‘Bonpri 1069’ in flower bract color as plants of ‘Bonpri 1069’ have light pink-colored flower bracts. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS 
       The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new  Euphorbia  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  Euphorbia  plant. 
       The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonpri 1049’ grown in a container. 
       The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Bonpri 1049’. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION 
     Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and described herewith in detail were grown during the autumn in 12-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial  Euphorbia  production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night temperatures averaged 13° C. Plants were four months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fourth Edition, 2007, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.
     Botanical classification:  Euphorbia pulcherrima  Willd. ex Klotzsch× Euphorbia cornastra  ‘Bonpri 1049’.   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of  Euphorbia pulcherrima  Willd. ex Klotzsch× Euphorbia cornastra  ‘Bonpri 515’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,587.   Propagation:
             Type .—Terminal vegetative cuttings.     Time to initiate roots, summer .—About ten days at 18° C. to 25° C.     Time to initiate roots, winter .—About twelve days at 16° C. to 20° C.     Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer .—About three weeks at 18° C. to 25° C.     Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter .—About four weeks at 16° C. to 20° C.     Root description .—Fibrous; white in color.     Rooting habit .—Freely branching; medium density.       
       Plant description:
             Plant habit and form .—Compact, upright and mounded plant habit; inverted triangle; inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane; vigorous growth habit.     Plant height .—About 26 cm.     Plant diameter or spread .—About 38 cm.     Lateral branch description .—Branching habit: Freely branching habit, about six lateral branches develop per plant. Length: About 18 cm. Diameter: About 4.3 mm. Internode length: About 2.2 cm. Aspect: Mostly upright to somewhat outward. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to darker than 144A.     Leaf description .—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 7.2 cm. Width: About 5.3 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Rounded. Margin: Shallowly serrate; undulate. Venation pattern: Pinnate, reticulate. Texture and luster, upper surface: Pubescent; matte. Texture and luster, lower surface: Pubescent; rugose; matte. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A; along the midrib, close to N137D. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to darker than 144A. Fully developed leaves, upper surface: Close to N137A; venation, close to 145C. Fully developed leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B; venation, close to 145B. Petioles: Length: About 2.7 cm. Diameter: About 2.2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to 59A. Color, lower surface: Close to 144B.       
       Inflorescence description:
             Inflorescence type and habit .—Inflorescences are compound corymbs of cyathia with numerous flower bracts subtending the cyathia; inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane.     Quantity of inflorescences .—Freely flowering habit; about nine inflorescences develop per plant.     Inflorescence diameter .—About 18.5 cm.     Inflorescence height .—About 7 cm.     Fragrance .—None detected.     Natural flowering season .—Plants typically flower during the autumn and winter in Japan; inflorescence initiation and development can also be induced under artificial long nyctoperiod and short photoperiod conditions; early flowering habit, plants flower about 50 days under natural season conditions in Japan.     Post - production longevity .—Good post-production longevity; plants of the new  Euphorbia  maintain good substance and bract color for about seven weeks.     Flower bracts .—Quantity per inflorescence: About 21. Length, largest bracts: About 7.6 cm. Width, largest bracts: About 4.6 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Rounded. Margin: Shallowly serrate; undulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent. Aspect: Mostly horizontal. Venation pattern: Pinnate, reticulate. Color: Transitional bracts, upper surface: Close to 58B and N137B. Transitional bracts, lower surface: Close to N57C and 146C. Developing bracts, upper surface: Close to darker than 58B. Developing bracts, lower surface: Close to 58C. Fully expanded bracts, upper surface: Close to 58B to 58C; venation, close to 152A. Fully expanded bracts, lower surface: Close to 58C; venation, close to 145C. Flower bract petioles: Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 144C tinged with close to 61C. Color, lower surface: Close to 144B.     Cyathia .—Quantity per corymb: About ten. Diameter of cyathia cluster: About 1.1 cm. Height, individual cyathium: Very small and undeveloped. Diameter, individual cyathium: Very small and undeveloped. Shape, individual cyathium: Globose; sessile. Color: Close to 144B. Nectaries: None observed on plants of the new  Euphorbia.        Peduncles .—None observed on plants of the new  Euphorbia.        Reproductive organs .—None observed on plants of the new  Euphorbia.        Seeds and fruits .—Seed and fruit production has not been observed on plants of the new  Euphorbia.          
       Disease &amp; pest resistance: Plants of the new  Euphorbia  have not been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to  Euphorbia  plants.   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new  Euphorbia  have been observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 8° C. to about 40° C.