Abstract:
A new and distinct New Guinea impatiens cultivar named Balceblico, characterized by its large light coral flowers, striking bronze foliage with yellow/orange variegation, compact, upright and mounded habit and excellent basal branching.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention comprises a new and distinct New Guinea impatiens plant, botanically known as  Impatiens hawkeri , and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Balceblico.  
           [0002]    The new cultivar was developed by the inventor through a controlled breeding program during 1997 in Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of the breeding program was to develop cultivars with numerous large flowers, compact to moderate growth habit and excellent basal branching.  
           [0003]    The female (seed) parent of Balceblico was the proprietary  Impatiens hawkeri  cultivar designated 50-4, characterized by its pink flowers, compact habit and dark green foliage. The male (pollen) parent of Balceblico was the proprietary  Impatiens hawkeri  cultivar designated 1578, characterized by its salmon flowers, compact habit and dark green variegated foliage. Balceblico was discovered and selected as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross by the inventor in December of 1997.  
           [0004]    Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal or stem cuttings has demonstrated that the characteristics of the new cultivar as herein described are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0005]    It was found that the cultivar of the present invention:  
           [0006]    (a) exhibits large round light coral flowers,  
           [0007]    (b) forms bronze foliage with yellow/orange variegation,  
           [0008]    (c) exhibits a good basal branching character and  
           [0009]    (d) exhibits an upright mounded growth habit.  
           [0010]    The new cultivar of the present invention can be compared to Celebration Deep Coral (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,214). In side by side comparisons, plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of Celebration Deep Coral by the following characteristics: it is found that the new cultivar is more compact, has larger flowers that are more orange in color and different foliage variegation. A detailed comparison can be found in Table A. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH  
       [0011]    The accompanying photographs show as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typical flower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. The plants were grown in a greenhouse at West Chicago, Ill., U.S.A. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]    The Balceblico cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature, light intensity, and day length.  
         [0013]    The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is the R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England. The color values were determined on Aug. 30, 2000 between 9:00 and 9:30 am under natural daylight. The plants were produced from cuttings taken from stock plants and were grown in 10 cm pots under greenhouse conditions comparable to those used in commercial practice while utilizing a soilless growth medium and maintaining temperatures of approximately 72° F. during the day and approximately 65° F. during the night.  
         [0014]    Classification:  
         [0015]    [0015] Botanical.—   Impatiens hawkeri  cultivar Balceblico.  
         [0016]    Parantage: Proprietary seedling 50-4(seed) times. Proprietary seedling 1578(pollen)  
         [0017]    Propagation:  
         [0018]    [0018] Type cutting.— Terminal tip.  
         [0019]    [0019] Time to Initiate Roots.— Approximately 7-14 days with the shorter times generally being experienced in the summer and the longer times in the winter.  
         [0020]    [0020] Time to develop roots.— Approximately 21 days.  
         [0021]    [0021] Rooting Habit.— Fibrous, branching.  
         [0022]    Plant description:  
         [0023]    [0023] Habit of Growth.— Moderately vigorous with good basal branching. A mature plant, at 8 to 10 weeks after the planting of a rooted cutting, commonly measures approximately 19.6 cm in height and approximately 25.6 cm in width.  
         [0024]    [0024] Plant Form.— Upright and mounded.  
         [0025]    [0025] Foliage.— Leaves are lanceolate, with acuminate apex, attenuate base and serrate, ciliate margin. Size of mature foliage: approximately 8.1 cm in length and approximately 2.5 cm in width. Petiole length is approximately 6 mm. Color of upper surface of mature leaves: closest to 200A at edges, areas of 170A and 167A within the midsection and venation of 187D; lower surface: closest to 187B at edges, 187D in midsection and venation of 185B.  
         [0026]    [0026] Stem.— Color: 187B; Internode length: approximately 4.1 cm.  
         [0027]    Flower description:  
         [0028]    [0028] Flowering Habit.— Freely flowering.  
         [0029]    [0029] Natural Flowering Season.— Year round in greenhouse environment. Flowering is continuous from spring until fall in the garden.  
         [0030]    [0030] Flowers Borne.— Above foliage arising from leaf axils.  
         [0031]    [0031] Flower Color.— Upper surface of petals is between 41A &amp; 41B, with each petal having attachment points of between 60C &amp; 60D with darkest area at base of lower two petals, forming an “eye”; lower surface of petals is between 43D &amp; 44D with base and midvein of 60D.  
         [0032]    [0032] Quantity of Flowers.— Approximately 3 flowers and 4 buds per stem.  
         [0033]    [0033] Petals.— Number: Five. Shape: Obovate. Size: Superior petal: width- 4.2 cm, length- 2.9 cm; lateral petals: length- 3.1 cm, width -2.9 cm.; lower petals: length- 3.9 cm, width- 3.7 cm.  
         [0034]    [0034] Flower Diameter.— Approximately 7.2 cm.  
         [0035]    [0035] Spur.— Approximately 4.9 cm in length; lighter than 60D in color.  
         [0036]    [0036] Peduncle.— Length: Approximately 4.4 cm. Color.  
         [0037]    [0037] Reproductive Organs.— Androecium: The anthers are fused together forming one organ that surrounds the pistil. Generally, the anthers shed pollen prior to the stigma becoming receptive. The pollen color is 19D, Gynoecium: the stigma color is pale purple, style color is 144A and the ovary color is 144A.  
         [0038]    [0038] Seed development.— Seed production has not been observed.  
         [0039]    [0039] Disease resistance.— Resistance to pathogens has not been observed.  
                       TABLE A                               CELEBRATION       CHARACTERISTIC   BALCEBLICO   DEEP CORAL                   PLANT HEIGHT   19.6 CM   27.1 CM       NUMBER OF    8.5    9       BRANCHES       BRANCH LENGTH   15.4 CM   23.3 CM       BRANCH    .8 CM    .9 CM       DIAMETER       INTERNODE    4.1 CM    5.8 CM       LENGTH       BUD LENGTH    2.1 CM    2.2 CM       BUD DIAMETER    1.3 CM    1.3 CM       PEDUNCLE    4.4 CM    4.9 CM       LENGTH       FLOWER   11 .2 CM    6.8 CM       DIAMETER       PETAL COLOR-   BETWEEN 41A &amp; 41B   50A       FULLY OPENED-   WITH “EYE” OF       UPPER SURFACE   BETWEEN 60C &amp; 60D       SPUR LENGTH    4.9 CM    5.2 CM       SPUR COLOR   LIGHTER THAN 60D   53C       MATURE LEAF   200A AT EDGES;   187A WITH MIDRIB       COLOR-UPPER   MIXTURE OF 17OA   OF 45B AND 19A       SURFACE   AND 167A WITH           VEINATION OF 187D       LEAF LENGTH X    8.1 × 2.5 CM    8.4 × 3.5 CM       WIDTH       PETIOLE LENGTH    .6 CM    .9 CM