Patent Publication Number: US-PP32156-P2

Title: Lavandula plant named ‘sako1644’

Description:
Botanical designation:  Lavandula angustifolia.    
     Cultivar denomination: ‘sako1644’. 
     CROSS-REFERENCED TO CLOSELY RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Title:  Lavandula  Plant Named ‘sako1638’ 
     Applicant: Lammert Koning 
     Filed: Concurrently with the instant application Ser. No. 16/602,699 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a new and distinct  Lavandula  plant, botanically known as  Lavandula angustifolia , commonly referred to as English Lavender and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘sako1644’. 
     The new  Lavandula  plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Boskoop, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new unique  Lavandula  plants with good performance and attractive plant form and flower coloration. 
     The new  Lavandula  plant originated from an open-pollination in June, 2015 of  Lavandula angustifolia  ‘Felice’, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown proprietary selection of  Lavandula angustifolia  as the male, or pollen, parent. The new  Lavandula  plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Boskoop, The Netherlands in July, 2016. 
     Asexual reproduction of the new  Lavandula  plant by terminal stem cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Boskoop, The Netherlands since August, 2016 has shown that the unique features of this new  Lavandula  plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Plants of the new  Lavandula  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 the new  Lavandula  plant. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘sako1644’ as a new and distinct  Lavandula  plant:
         1. Compact and upright to somewhat outward plant habit.   2. Strong and sturdy plants.   3. Freely branching growth habit.   4. Freely flowering habit.   5. Violet-colored flowers positioned on strong and erect peduncles.   6. Good garden performance.       

     Plants of the new  Lavandula  differ primarily from plants of the female parent, ‘Felice’, in flower color as plants of the new  Lavandula  have violet-colored flowers whereas plants of ‘Felice’ have light blue-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new  Lavandula  are not as strongly upright as plants of ‘Felice’. 
     Plants of the new  Lavandula  can be compared to plants of  Lavandula angustifolia  ‘sako1638’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant Patent application filed concurrently. Plants of the new  Lavandula  differ from plants of ‘sako1638’ primarily in flower color as plants of the new  Lavandula  have lighter violet-colored flowers than plants of ‘sako1638’. In addition, plants of the new  Lavandula  are broader than and not as upright as plants of ‘sako1638’. 
     Plants of the new  Lavandula  can be compared to plants of the  Lavandula angustifolia  ‘Annet’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,867. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new  Lavandula  differ primarily from plants of ‘Annet’ in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Lavandula  are not as compact as plants of ‘Annet’.   2. Plants of the new  Lavandula  are not as strongly upright as plants of ‘Avnet’.       

     Plants of the new  Lavandula  can be compared to plants of the  Lavandula angustifolia  ‘Blue Royalty’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,657. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new  Lavandula  differ primarily from plants of ‘Blue Royalty’ in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Lavandula  are not as compact as plants of ‘Blue Royalty’.   2. Plants of the new  Lavandula  are not as strongly upright as plants of ‘Blue Royalty’.   3. Plants of the new  Lavandula  have violet-colored flowers whereas plants of ‘Blue Royalty’ have dark purple-colored flowers.       

    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS 
       The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new  Lavandula  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  Lavandula  plant. 
       The photograph on the first sheet ( FIG. 1  of 2) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘sako1644’ grown in a container. 
       The photograph on the second sheet ( FIG. 2  of 2) is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘sako1644’. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION 
     Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and following detailed description were grown in 17-cm containers during the spring and early summer in an outdoor nursery in Boskoop, The Netherlands after being grown in a glass-covered greenhouse during the winter and under cultural practices typical of commercial  Lavandula  production. Plants were pinched one time and were eight months old when the photographs and description were taken. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 20° C. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.
     Botanical classification:  Lavandula angustifolia  ‘sako1644’.   Parentage:
             Female, or seed, parent.—Lavandula angustifolia  ‘Felice’, not patented.     Male, or pollen, parent .—Unknown proprietary selection of  Lavandula angustifolia , not patented.       
       Propagation:
             Type. —Vegetative stem cuttings.     Time to initiate roots, summer and winter .—About ten days at temperatures about 18° C.     Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer .—About 60 days at temperatures about 20° C.     Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter .—About 70 days at temperatures about 20° C.     Root description .—Fine, fibrous; initially white in color and becoming more brown with development; actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation.     Rooting habit .—Freely branching; dense.       
       Plant description:
             Plant and growth habit .—Herbaceous perennial; compact and upright to somewhat spreading plant habit; broadly obovate in overall plant shape; strong and sturdy plants; freely branching habit; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit; moderate growth rate; flowers arranged in terminal spikes.     Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane .—About 22.3 cm.     Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane .—About 31.9cm.     Plant width .—About 41.4 cm.     Lateral branch description .—Quantity per plant: About 37 primary lateral branches each with about eight secondary lateral branches developing per plant; pinching enhances lateral branch development. Length: About 9.1 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About 1.6 cm. Strength: Moderately strong. Aspect: About 55° from vertical. Texture and luster: Dense glandular pubescence; matte. Color, when developing: Close to 145A to 145B. Color, developed: Close to 145B to 145C; when woody, close to 199C.     Leaf description .—Arrangement: Opposite, simple; sessile. Quantity per lateral branch: About twelve. Length: About 3.7 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape: Narrowly oblanceolate; moderately carinate. Apex: Obtuse to bluntly acute. Base: Broadly cuneate. Margin: Entire; moderately to strongly revolute; not lobed. Texture and luster, upper surface: Moderately pubescent, glandular; slightly glossy. Texture and luster, lower surface: Moderately pubescent, glandular; matte. Fragrance: Strongly aromatic, pungent. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 138A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143C. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137B; venation, close to 138A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation, close to 144A.       
       Flower description:
             Flower type, arrangement and habit .—Small single salverform flowers arranged on terminal spikes; freely flowering, about 84 flowers developing per inflorescence and more than 8,000 flowers developing per plant during the flowering season; flowers with two-lobed upper lip and three-lobed lower lip; flowers face mostly outwardly on the spike.     Natural flowering season .—Long flowering period; continuous from late spring into late summer in The Netherlands; plants begin flowering about 13 weeks after planting.     Flower longevity on the plant .—Individual flowers last about four weeks on the plant; flowers not persistent.     Fragrance .—None detected.     Flower buds .—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Oblong. Texture and luster: Densely tomentose; matte. Color: Close to between 86A and N88A; towards the apex, close to 92A.     Inflorescence size .—Height: About 6.5 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 cm.     Flower size .—Diameter: About 7 mm by 8 mm. Depth (height): About 1.1 cm. Throat diameter: About 1.5 mm. Tube length: About 7 mm. Tube diameter: About 1.75 mm.     Petals .—Quantity and arrangement: Upper lip, two-lobed and lower lip, three-lobed. Length, upper lip: About 1.1 cm. Length, lower lip: About 1 cm. Width, upper lip: About 5 mm. Width, lower lip: About 3.5 mm. Shape: Roughly spatulate; upper lip is 65% fused into a tube and lower lip is 70% fused into a tube. Apex: Obtuse, rounded. Margin: Entire; moderately undulate. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; moderately velvety; matte. Texture and luster, throat: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Texture and luster, tube: Moderately pubescent; matte. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 86B. When opening, lower surface: Close to 86B to 86C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 86C, fading towards the throat to close to N87C to N87D; venation, similar to lamina colors; color does not change with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 86C to 86D; venation, similar to lamina colors; color does not change with development. Throat: Close to N87C to N87D; venation, close to N87C to N87D. Tube: Close to 86B, fading towards the base to close to NN155D; venation, similar to lamina colors.     Sepals .—Quantity and arrangement: Five, fused into a campanulate tube; lower 90% of sepals are fused. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Texture and luster, lower surface: Densely pubescent; matte. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 147C, distally tinged with close to 86C; venation, close to 147A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to between 86A and N88A.     Flower bracts .—Quantity and arrangement: One bract positioned at the base of each group of about seven flowers. Length: About 4 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Broadly rhomboidal. Apex: Narrowly apiculate. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Finely dentate. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent, glandular; slightly glossy. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 199C; venation, close to 200A.     Peduncles .—Length: About 19.2 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Aspect: Mostly upright. Strength: Strong. Texture and luster: Moderately to densely pubescent, glandular; matte. Color: Close to between 137C and 138A.     Pedicels .—Length: About 1.75 mm. Diameter: About 0.75 mm. Aspect: About 25° to 70° from peduncle axis. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster: Densely pubescent; matte. Color: Close to 145B.     Reproductive organs .—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four. Filament length: About 1 mm. Filament color: Close to NN155C. Anther shape: Reniform. Anther size: About 0.5 mm by 0.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 200A to 200B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 21A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma size: About 0.5 mm by 0.1 mm. Stigma color: Close to 156D, distally, close to 15A. Style length: About 6 mm. Style color: Close to NN155D. Ovary color: Close to 144A.     Seeds and fruits .—To date, seed and fruit production has not been observed on plants of the new  Lavandula.          
       Pathogen &amp; pest resistance: To date, plants of the new  Lavandula  have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to  Lavandula  plants.   Garden performance: Plants of the new  Lavandula  have exhibited good tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate high temperatures about 40° C. and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 6 to 10.