Patent Publication Number: US-PP20324-P2

Title: Astilbe Plant Named ‘Verscarmine’

Description:
Botanical designation:  Astilbe arendsii×Astible japonica.    
   Cultivar denomination: ‘VERSCARMINE’. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of  Astilbe,  botanically known as  Astilbe arendsii×Astilbe japonica  and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Verscarmine’. 
   The new  Astilbe  is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Haarlem, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new strong  Astilbe  cultivars with attractive foliage and flower coloration. 
   The new  Astilbe  originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2001 in Haarlem, The Netherlands, of an unnamed  Astilbe arendsii  seedling selection, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed  Astilbe japonica  seedling selection, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new  Astilbe  was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Haarlem, The Netherlands in 2003. 
   Asexual reproduction of the new  Astilbe  by divisions in a controlled environment in a greenhouse in Honselersdijk, The Netherlands since the summer of 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new  Astilbe  are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The cultivar Verscarmine has 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 ‘Verscarmine’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Verscarmine’ as a new and distinct cultivar of  Astilbe:  
         1. Compact, upright and strong plant habit.   2. Strong and healthy foliage.   3. Freely and uniformly flowering habit.   4. Dark pink-colored flowers.   5. Good garden performance.       

   Plants of the new  Astilbe  differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in plant height and flowering habit as plants of the new  Astilbe  are more compact and more freely flowering than plants of the parent selections. 
   Plants of the new  Astilbe  can be compared to plants of the  Astilbe arendsii  cultivar Fanal, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Haarlem, The Netherlands, plants of the new  Astilbe  and the cultivar Fanal differed in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the  Astilbe  were more compact than plants of the cultivar Fanal.   2. Plants of the new  Astilbe  flowered earlier than plants of the cultivar Fanal.   3. Plants of the new  Astilbe  were more freely flowering than plants of the cultivar Fanal.       

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS 
     The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new  Astilbe , 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  Astilbe.    
     The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Verscarmine’ grown in a container. 
     The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Verscarmine’. 
     The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of the upper surface of a typical leaf of ‘Verscarmine’. 
   

   DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION 
   The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in containers in Afferden, The Netherlands, under commercial practice in during the early summer in an outdoor nursery with day temperatures ranging from 12° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranging from 5° C. to 15° C. Plants had been growing for about one year when the photographs and description were taken. 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:   

     Astilbe arendsii×Astilbe japonica  cultivar Verscarmine.
     Parentage:
             Female, or seed, parent. —Unnamed  Astilbe arendsii  seedling selection, not patented.     Male, or pollen, parent. —Unnamed  Astilbe japonica  seedling selection, not patented.       
       Propagation:
             Type. —By divisions.     Time to initiate root. —About three weeks at 20° C.     Root description. —Thick, fleshy; brown in color.     Rooting habit. —Freely branching; moderately dense.       
       Plant description:
             Plant form/habit. —Herbaceous perennial. Compact, upright and strong plant habit; roughly triangular. Flowering stems and leaves basal; dense and bushy growth habit; moderate to low vigor. Freely and uniformly flowering with numerous flowers on branched panicles.     Growth rate. —Moderate to slow; from divisions, about 28 weeks are required to produce fully-grown flowering plants.     Plant height  ( soil level to top of foliar plane ).—About 20.2 cm.     Plant height  ( soil level to top of inflorescences ).—About 39.6 cm.     Plant width  ( spread ).—About 36.3 cm.     Stem description. —Length: About 15.8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Internode length: About 5.8 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: 144A.       
       Foliage description:
             Arrangement. —Alternate; biternately compound.     Leaf length  ( excluding petiole ).—About 11.9 cm.     Leaf width. —About 14.7 cm.     Lateral leaflet length. —About 3.5 cm.     Lateral leaflet width. —About 1.8 cm.     Terminal leaflet length. —About 4.6 cm.     Terminal leaflet width. —About 2.5 cm.     Lateral and terminal leaflet shape. —Ovate to narrowly ovate.     Lateral and terminal leaflet apex. —Acute.     Lateral and terminal leaflet base. —Rounded to attenuate.     Lateral and terminal leaflet margin. —Biserrate.     Lateral and terminal leaflet texture, upper and lower surfaces. —Sparsely pubescent; slightly rough.     Lateral and terminal leaflet venation pattern. —Pinnate.     Lateral and terminal leaflet color. —Developing leaves, upper surface: 143A. Developing leaves, lower surface: 144A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Between 137A and 147A; venation, 144A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Between 137A and 147A; venation, 146C to 146D.     Leaf petiole length. —About 6.8 cm.     Leaf petiole diameter. —About 2 mm.     Leaflet petiole length. —About 1.1 cm.     Leaflet petiole width. —About 2 mm.     Leaf and leaflet petiole texture, upper and lower surface. —Smooth, glabrous.     Leaf and leaflet petiole color, upper and lower surface. —144A; towards the base and at the nodes, 186D.       
       Flower description:
             Flower type/habit. —Numerous single rotate flowers arrange on branched panicles; flowers fact upright, outward or downward depending on position on the panicle. Panicles conical in shape. Freely and uniformly flowering habit with about 500 flowers developing per inflorescence.     Fragrance. —Faintly fragrant; sweet.     Natural flowering season. —Continuously flowering during the early summer for about six weeks in The Netherlands.     Postproduction longevity. —Flowers last about ten days on the plant. Flowers persistent.     Flower buds. —Height: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Shape: Globular. Color: N144A; towards the apex, 60A.     Inflorescence height. —About 23.8 cm.     Inflorescence diameter. —About 8.4 cm.     Flower diameter. —About 9 mm.     Flower depth. —About 4 mm.     Petals. —Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single whorl. Length: About 4 mm. Lobe width: About 1 mm. Shape: Narrowly oblanceolate. Apex: Acute to obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing petals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 63B. Fully expanded petals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 68A to 68B; color becoming closer to 73B with development.     Sepals. —Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single whorl, fused towards the base; campanulate calyx. Length: About 2 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Broadly ovate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing sepals, upper and lower surfaces: N144A; towards the margins, 60A. Fully expanded sepals, upper surface: 60B. Fully expanded sepals, lower surface: 150D heavily flushed with 60B; towards the margins, 60B.     Peduncles. —Length: About 22.8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A; towards the apex, flushed with 60A to 60C.     Pedicels. —Length: About 1.5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 60A to 60C.     Reproductive organ. —Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically ten; anthers basifixed. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: 60A to 60B. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther color: 63B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 155D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: Two. Pistil length: About 2.5 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: 59B. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color: 60B to 60C. Ovary color: 60B to 60C.     Seed/fruit. —Seed and fruit development have not been observed.       
       Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new  Astilbe  have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to  Astilbe.      Garden performance: Plants of the new  Astilbe  have been observed to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and high temperatures of about 35° C. Plants of the new  Astilbe  have been observed to be hardy to USDA Zone 5.