Patent Publication Number: US-PP32149-P2

Title: Petunia plant named ‘Dopetpotupurp 19’

Description:
Botanical designation:  Petunia  x  hybrida.    
     Cultivar denomination: ‘DOPETPOTUPURP 19’. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant, botanically known as  Petunia  x  hybrida  and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dopetpotupurp 19’. 
     The new  Petunia  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 compact, freely branching and early-flowering  Petunia  plants with numerous attractive flowers. 
     The new  Petunia  plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in July, 2016 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selection of  Petunia  x  hybrida  identified as code number TT15-079043-009, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of  Petunia  x  hybrida  identified as code number TT14-002281-006, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new  Petunia  plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2018. 
     Asexual reproduction of the new  Petunia  plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since June, 2018 has shown that the unique features of this new  Petunia  plant 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 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 ‘Dopetpotupurp 19’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dopetpotupurp 19’ as a new and distinct  Petunia  plant:
         1. Compact, upright and mounding to hanging plant habit.   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.   3. Freely branching habit.   4. Early and freely flowering habit.   5. Large dark red purple-colored flowers with darker purple to close to black-colored venation.   6. Good garden performance.       

     Plants of the new  Petunia  can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new  Petunia  differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Petunia  are more compact than and not as vigorous as plants of the female parent selection.   2. Plants of the new  Petunia  have smaller flowers than plants of the female parent selection.       

     Plants of the new  Petunia  can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new  Petunia  differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in flower color as flowers of plants of the new  Petunia  have less intense petal venation than flowers of plants of the male parent selection. 
     Plants of the new  Petunia  can be compared to plants of  Petunia  x  hybrida  ‘Keiburtel’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new  Petunia  and ‘Keiburtel’ differ primarily in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Petunia  are more compact than and not as vigorous as plants of ‘Keiburtel’.   2. Plants of the new  Petunia  have smaller leaves than plants of ‘Keiburtel’.   3. Plants of the new  Petunia  are more freely flowering than plants of ‘Keiburtel’.   4. Plants of the new  Petunia  flower about two weeks earlier than plants of ‘Keiburtel’.   5. Petal margins of plants of the new  Petunia  are not as undulate as petal margins of plants of ‘Keiburtel’.       

    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH 
       The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new  Petunia  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  Petunia  plant. 
       The photograph ( FIG. 1 ) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dopetpotupurp 19’ grown in a container. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION 
     The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the spring in 13-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial  Petunia  production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Plants were twelve weeks old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.
     Botanical classification:  Petunia  x  hybrida  ‘Dopetpotupurp 19’.   Parentage:
             Female, or seed, parent .—Proprietary selection of  Petunia  x  hybrida  identified as code number TT15-079043-009, not patented.     Male, or pollen, parent .—Proprietary selection of  Petunia  x  hybrida  identified as code number TT14-002281-006, not patented.       
       Propagation:
             Type .—By terminal vegetative cuttings.     Time to initiate roots, summer .—About five days at temperatures about 20° C.     Time to initiate roots, winter .—About seven days at temperatures about 20° C.     Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer .—About three weeks at temperatures about 20° C.     Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter .—About four weeks at temperatures about 20° C.     Root description .—Fine, fibrous; close to 155B in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizers, substrate temperature and age of roots.     Rooting habit .—Freely branching; dense.       
       Plant description:
             Plant and growth habit .—Compact, upright and mounding to hanging plant habit; freely branching habit with about nine to eleven primary lateral branches each with about ten secondary branches developing after pinching; moderately vigorous growth habit; moderate growth rate.     Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane .—About 16 cm.     Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane .—About 16 cm.     Plant diameter .—About 20 cm.       
       Lateral branch description:
             Length .—About 29 cm.     Diameter .—About 3.5 mm.     Internode length .—About 1.4 cm.     Strength .—Moderately strong.     Aspect .—Initially upright to outwardly spreading.     Texture and luster .—Pubescent; semi-glossy.     Color, developing .—Close to 144C.     Color, fully developed .—Close to 144A; at the internodes, close to 144B.       
       Leaf description:
             Arrangement .—Before flowering, alternate; after flowering, opposite; simple.     Length .—About 3.7 cm.     Width .—About 1.7 cm.     Shape .—Spatulate.     Apex .—Obtuse.     Base .—Attenuate.     Margin .—Entire.     Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces .—Pubescent; leathery; semi-glossy.     Venation pattern .—Pinnate; arcuate.     Color .—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137C. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137D. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B; venation, close to 144A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation, close to 144B.     Petioles .—Length: About 2.6 mm. Diameter: About 1.8 mm. Strength: Moderately strong; firm. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color, upper surface: Close to 144B. Color, lower surface: Close to 144C.       
       Flower description:
             Flower type and flowering habit .—Single salverform flowers arising from leaf axils; freely flowering habit with usually about 45 open flowers and flower buds per plant at one time; flowers face upright to outwardly.     Fragrance .—None detected.     Natural flowering season .—Plants flower continuously during the spring and summer in Germany; early flowering habit, plants typically beginning flowering about nine weeks after planting.     Flower longevity .—Individual flowers last about two to three days on the plant; flowers persistent.     Flower buds .—Length: About 4.7 cm. Diameter: About 6.2 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Texture and luster: Rippled; semi-glossy. Color: Close to 79A.     Flower diameter .—About 6.5 cm.     Flower depth  ( height ).—About 4.9 cm.     Flower throat diameter .—About 1.2 cm.     Flower tube length .—About 3 cm.     Flower tube diameter .—About 3 mm.     Corolla .—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and opening into a flared trumpet. Petal lobe length (from throat): About 2.9 cm. Petal lobe width: About 2.7 cm. Petal shape: Roughly spatulate. Petal apex: Obtuse. Petal margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Petal texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Rippled, glabrous; semi-glossy. Throat texture and luster: Rippled, glabrous; semi-glossy. Tube texture and luster: Rippled, pubescent; semi-glossy. Color: Petal lobe, when opening and fully opened, upper surface: Ground color, close to 71A; venation and towards the centers, close to 202A; ground color becoming closer to N81A with development. Petal lobe, when opening and fully opened, lower surface: Ground color, close to N78B; venation and towards the centers, close to 187A; ground color becoming closer to N81C with development. Flower throat: Close to 187A; venation, close to 187A. Flower tube: Close to 187A; venation, close to 187A.     Sepals .—Arrangement: Five sepals fused at the base forming a tubular star-shaped calyx. Length: About 2.1 cm. Diameter: About 3.2 mm. Shape: Oblong. Apex: Rounded. Base: Decurrent. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy. Color, when opening, upper surface: Close to 143A. Color, when opening, lower surface: Close to 143B to 143C. Color, fully opened, upper surface: Close to 141B. Color, fully opened, lower surface: Close to 141C.     Peduncles .—Length: About 2.7 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy. Color: Close to 145A.     Reproductive organs .—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five. Filament length: About 1.5 cm. Filament color: Close to 72B and 155D. Anther length: About 1.2 mm. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther color: Close to 92B. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 92C. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 2.9 cm. Style length: About 2.6 cm. Style color: Close to 145C. Stigma diameter: About 1.5 mm. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: Close to 144A. Ovary color: Close to 144B. Fruits: Quantity produced per plant: About ten during the flowering season. Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 161C. Seeds: Quantity per flower: About 80. Length: About 0.2 mm. Diameter: About 0.2 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 200A.       
       Garden performance: Plants of the new  Petunia  have been observed to have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain, temperatures ranging from about 3° C. to about 28° C. and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness Zone 11.   Pathogen &amp; pest resistance: To date, plants of the new  Petunia  have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to  Petunia  plants.