Patent Publication Number: US-PP20987-P2

Title: Verbena plant named ‘Duemproybu’

Description:
Botanical designation:  Verbena hybrida.    
   Cultivar denomination: ‘DUEMPROYBU’. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant, botanically known as  Verbena hybrida , and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duemproybu’. 
   The new  Verbena  plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new uniform  Verbena  plants with large and attractive flowers. 
   The new  Verbena  plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in August, 2002 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selection of  Verbena hybrida  identified as code number V00-2315-003, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of  Verbena hybrida  identified as code number F-20-22, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new  Verbena  plant 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 Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2007. 
   Asexual reproduction of the new  Verbena  plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since May, 2007 has shown that the unique features of this new  Verbena  plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Plants of the new  Verbena  have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices 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 ‘Duemproybu’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duemproybu’ as a new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena:  
         1. Mounding and cascading plant habit.   2. Freely branching habit.   3. Freely flowering habit.   4. Large dark violet-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the foliage in mounded umbels.       

   Plants of the new  Verbena  differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Verbena  are not as upright as plants of the female parent selection.   2. Plants of the new  Verbena  are more freely branching than plants of the female parent selection.       

   Plants of the new  Verbena  differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Verbena  are not as trailing in habit as plants of the male parent selection.   2. Plants of the new  Verbena  have larger flowers than plants of the male parent selection.       

   Plants of the new  Verbena  can be compared to plants of the  Verbena hybrida  ‘Lan Roypureye’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,610. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new  Verbena  differed from plants of ‘Lan Roypureye’ in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Verbena  had narrower leaves than plants of ‘Lan Roypureye’.   2. Plants of the new  Verbena  were more freely flowering than plants of ‘Lan Roypureye’.   3. Plants of the new  Verbena  and ‘Lan Roypureye’ differed in flower color as plants of ‘Lan Roypureye’ had dark violet and white bi-colored flowers.       

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH 
     The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new  Verbena  plant, 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  Verbena.    
     The photograph comprises a close-up view of typical leaves and flowers of ‘Duemproybu’. 
   

   DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION 
   The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in 13-cm containers in Rheinberg, Germany in a glass-covered greenhouse during the summer and under conditions which closely approximate commercial production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Plants were pinched one time about one week after planting. Plants had been growing for four months when the photograph and the description were taken. In the description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.
     Botanical classification:  Verbena hybrida  ‘Duemproybu’.   Parentage:
             Female, or seed, parent. —Proprietary selection of  Verbena hybrida  identified as code number V00-2315-003, not patented.     Male, or pollen, parent. —Proprietary selection of  Verbena hybrida  identified as code number F-20-22, not patented.       
       Propagation:
             Type. —Terminal cuttings.     Time to initiate roots, summer and winter. —About ten days at 20° C.     Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer. —About 21 days at 20° C.     Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter. —About 25 days at 20° C.     Root description. —Fine, fibrous; white in color.     Rooting habit. —Freely branching; dense.       
       Plant description:
             Plant habit. —Initially upright, then mounding to cascading plant habit. Freely branching habit with about four to six primary lateral branches with secondary lateral branches potentially forming at every node; pinching enhances lateral branch development; dense and bushy plant habit. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     Plant height. —About 15 cm.     Plant diameter. —About 20 cm.       
       Lateral branch description:
             Length. —About 18.5 cm.     Diameter. —About 3 mm.     Internode length. —About 4.3 cm.     Texture. —Pubescent.     Color. —Close to 144A.       
       Foliage description:
             Arrangement. —Opposite, simple.     Length. —About 3.8 cm.     Width. —About 1.6 cm.     Shape. —Lanceolate.     Apex. —Acute.     Base. —Attenuate.     Margin. —Lobed.     Texture, upper and lower surfaces. —Pubescent, coarse.     Venation pattern. —Pinnate.     Color. —Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A; venation, close to 146D. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B; venation, close to 146D.     Petiole length. —About 4.2 mm.     Petiole diameter. —About 2.6 mm.     Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces. —Smooth.     Petiole color, upper surface. —Close to 146A.     Petiole color, lower surface. —Close to 146B.       
       Flower description:
             Flower arrangement and habit. —Salverform flowers arranged in hemispherical terminal umbels; umbels dense and mounding; numerous umbels covering the entire plant. Flowers face upward or outward. Freely flowering habit with about 20 flowers and flower buds per inflorescence. Flowers not fragrant.     Natural flowering season. —Plants flower continuously from the spring through the fall in Germany. Plants begin flowering about eight weeks after planting.     Flower longevity. —Individual flowers last about one week on the plant; flowers persistent.     Inflorescence size. —Height: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 6 cm.     Flowers. —Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused, five-parted. Diameter: About 2 cm. Depth: About 2.5 cm.     Flower buds. —Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Shape: Oval, tubular. Color: Close to 146A.     Corolla. —Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused petals. Petal lobe length: About 1 cm. Petal lobe width: About 9 mm. Petal lobe shape: Obovate. Petal lobe apex: Emarginate to cordate. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 83A; color becoming closer to 83B with development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 83B.     Calyx. —Arrangement: Star-shaped calyx with five fused sepals. Sepal length: About 1.1 cm. Sepal width: About 1 mm. Sepal shape: Ligulate. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent, coarse. Sepal color, upper and lower surfaces: Between 146D and 144A.     Peduncles. —Length: About 7.6 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.     Pedicels. —Length: About 0.5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144A.     Reproductive organs. —Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: About four to five per flower, adnate to corolla tube. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.75 mm. Anther color: Close to 144B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 2D. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 1.7 cm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 144A. Style length: About 1.6 cm. Style color: Close to 144D. Ovary color: Close to 144C. Fruits/seeds: Fruit and seed development has not been observed.       
       Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new  Verbena  have been observed to tolerate temperatures from about 5° C. to about 35° C.   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new  Verbena  have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to  Verbenas.