Abstract:
A new and distinct variety of  Rubus idaeus  L. plant, distinguished by greater fruit size, longer shelf life and fruit quality. The candidate variety also has high Soluble Solids (SS) content and high total of Hydrophobic and Crude antioxidant activities.

Description:
Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed:  Rubus idaeus  L. 
   Variety denomination: ‘Jeanne d&#39;Orléans’. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of raspberry named ‘Jeanne d&#39;Orléans’. The parents of the new and distinct cultivar of the present invention are ‘Chilliwack’ (unpatented) and ‘Meeker’ (unpatented). 
   The instant plant, ‘Jeanne d&#39;Orléans’, originated from a cross between ‘Chilliwack’ and ‘Meeker’, made in 1994 at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, research centre in Quebec. The new cultivar has been found to undergo asexual propagation at L&#39;Acadie, Quebec, Canada by in vitro tissue culture. 
   Asexual reproduction of this new variety shows that the foregoing and other characteristics come true to form, are firmly fixed, and are established and transmitted through succeeding asexual propagations. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The ‘Jeanne d&#39;Orléans’ variety may be distinguished from other raspberry varieties due to the following combination of characteristics: greater fruit size, longer shelf life and fruit quality. The candidate variety also has high Soluble Solids (SS) content and high total of Hydrophobic and Crude antioxidant activities. 
   The cross was made in 1994 at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, research centre in Quebec. Several characteristics including winter hardiness, yield, fruit size and shelf life have been closely monitored since 1995. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The ‘Jeanne d&#39;Orléans’ raspberry is illustrated by the accompanying color photographs, taken when the plants were three years old, in which: 
       FIG. 1  shows ‘Jeanne d&#39;Orléans’ fruit; 
       FIG. 2  shows the upper surface of a leaf of ‘Jeanne d&#39;Orléans’; 
       FIG. 3  shows a ‘Jeanne d&#39;Orléans’ plant; 
       FIG. 4  shows a ‘Jeanne d&#39;Orléans’ plant in spring; and 
       FIG. 5  shows a ‘Jeanne d&#39;Orléans’ stem with spines. 
     The colors of an illustration of this type may vary with lighting and other conditions and therefore, color characteristics of this new variety should be determined with reference to the observations described herein, rather than from these illustrations alone. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   The original variety and progeny have been observed growing in a cultivated area in Québec, Canada. Certain characteristics of this variety, such as growth and color, may change with changing environmental conditions (e.g., light, temperature, moisture, nutrient availability, or other factors). Color descriptions and other terminology are used in accordance with their ordinary dictionary descriptions, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Color designations are made with reference to The Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S.) Colour Chart. All color characteristics were determined using the 1986 version of the Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S.) Colour charts and measured characteristics were based on ten plan measurements. It should be understood that the colors may vary, depending on factors such as growing and lighting conditions.
     Scientific Name:  Rubus idaeus  L. ‘Jeanne d&#39;Orléans’.   Parentage: ‘Meeker’ is the seed/female parent. ‘Chilliwack’ is the pollen/male parent.   Plant characteristics:
             Main fruit bearing type. —Only on previous year&#39;s cane in summer.     Habit. —Semi-upright.     Number of current season&#39;s canes observed at the beginning of the second year. —Few.       
       Young shoot characteristics: (observed when shoots are 15 cm long).
             Very young shoots. —Anthocyanin coloration of apex during rapid growth: absent.       
       Cane characteristics: (observed when the cane is about 1 meter to 1.5 meter long).
             Time of vegetative bud burst. —Late.     Current season canes. —Glaucosity: weak to medium. Anthocyanin coloration: weak. Length of internode: medium. Length of vegetative bud: short.     Dormant cane length. —Mean: 113 cm. Range: 64-158 cm. Standard deviation: 34 cm. Number measured: 18.     Dormant cane color. —Greyish orange-brown (R.H.S. 199C).     Spines. —Density: sparse to medium; spares in central third of 1 year old canes. Size at base: medium. Spine length: medium to long. Spine color: purple (RHS 77A).       
       Leaf characteristics: (observed filly developed leaves from middle third of the cane).
             Yellow - Green color of upper side. —RHS 144A.     Predominant number of leaflets. —Equally three and five.     Relief between the veins  ( rugosity ).—Strong to very strong.     Relative position of lateral leaflets. —Slightly overlapping.     Terminal leaflet length. —Mean: 20.9 cm. Range: 17.4-23.7 cm. Standard deviation: 1.7 cm. Number measured: 10.     Terminal leaflet width. —Mean: 19.3 cm. Range: 17.1-21.0 cm. Standard deviation: 1.3 cm. Number measured: 10.       
       Flower characteristics:
             Time of beginning of flowering on previous year&#39;s cane  (10%  of flowers have opened ).—Very late.     Pedicel number of spines. —Few to medium.     Peduncle. —Anthocyanin coloration: present. Intensity of anthocyanin coloration: strong to very strong.       
       Fruit characteristics: Time of beginning of fruit ripening on previous year&#39;s cane — when the fruit is most easily removed from the plug: late
             Fruiting lateral. —Attitude: erect to semi erect. Length: long.     Fruit. —Length: long. Width: broad. Length/width ratio: longer than broad. General shape lateral view: broad conical to conical. Size of single drupe: large. Fruit color: dark red (RHS 53A). Fruit glossiness: weak. Fruit firmness: firm. Adherence to plug: weak to medium.     Chilling requirement. —About 900 hours.       
       

   Raspberries of ‘Jeanne d&#39;Orléans’ were compared to ‘Boyne’ and ‘Killarney’ raspberry varieties, referred to herein as the “reference varieties.” ‘Jeanne d&#39;Orléans’ can be readily distinguished from ‘Boyne’ and ‘Killarney’ by the characteristics listed in Table 1. ‘Jeanne d&#39;Orléans’ shape is long and conic where as the reference variety&#39;s shape is globose. ‘Jeane d&#39;Orléans’ fruit size is very large compared to ‘Boyne’ and ‘Killarney’. ‘Jeanne d&#39;Orléans’ glossiness is weak compared to the reference varieties. The shelf life of ‘Jeanne d&#39;Orléans’ is significant longer compared to ‘Boyne’ and ‘Killarney’. Soluble Solids and Antioxidants are significant higher compared to the reference varieties. 
   TABLE I : Comparison of Physical Characteristics of ‘Jeanne d&#39;Orléans’ to Reference Varieties ‘Killarney’ and ‘Boyne’. 
   
     
       
             
             
             
             
           
             
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
                 
             
             
                 
                ‘Jeanne 
                 
                 
             
             
                 
                d&#39;Orléans’ 
               ‘Killarney’ 
               ‘Boyne’ 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
             
           
        
         
             
               Shape of Fruit 
               long conic 
               globose 
               globose 
             
             
               Size of Fruit 
               very large 
               small to 
               small 
             
             
                 
                 
               medium 
             
             
               Shelf life 
               significant 
             
             
                 
               longer than 
             
             
                 
               reference 
             
             
                 
               varieties 
             
             
               Glossiness 
               weak 
               Strong 
               medium 
             
             
               Soluble Solids 
               Significant 
             
             
                 
               higher than 
             
             
                 
               reference 
             
             
                 
               varieties 
             
             
               Antioxidant 
               Significant 
             
             
                 
               higher than 
             
             
                 
               reference 
             
             
                 
               Varieties 
             
             
               Number of current 
               few 
               medium-many 
               many 
             
             
               season canes 
             
             
               Anthocyanin 
               absent 
               Present 
               present 
             
             
               coloration of apex of 
             
             
               very young shoots 
             
             
               during rapid growth 
             
             
               Intensity of 
               absent or weak 
               weak-medium 
               weak 
             
             
               Anthocyanin 
             
             
               coloration of apex of 
             
             
               very young shoots 
             
             
               during rapid growth 
             
             
               Time of vegetative bud 
               late 
               Early 
               early 
             
             
               burst 
             
             
               Current season&#39;s cane 
               weak-medium 
               — 
               medium 
             
             
               glaucosity 
             
             
               Current season&#39;s cane 
               weak 
               — 
               medium 
             
             
               anthocyanin coloration 
               (when present) 
                 
               (when present) 
             
             
               Current season&#39;s cane 
               medium 
               Short 
               medium 
             
             
               length of internode 
             
             
               Dormant cane length: 
             
             
               Mean: 
               113 cm 
               110 cm 
               106 cm 
             
             
               Range: 
               64-158 cm 
               62-162 cm 
               60-158 cm 
             
             
               Standard deviation: 
               34 cm 
               27 cm 
               33 cm 
             
             
               Dormant cane color: 
               brown 
               Greyed-orange 
               Greyed-orange 
             
             
                 
               (RHS 199C) 
               (RHS 166A) 
               (RHS 
             
             
               Spine density 
               sparse-medium 
               dense 
               dense 
             
             
               Spine length 
               medium-long 
               — 
               medium 
             
             
               Spine color 
               Purple 
               Purple 
               Purple 
             
             
                 
               (RHS 77A) 
               (RHS 77A) 
               (RHS 77A) 
             
             
               Green color of upper 
               Yellow- 
               Green (RHS 
               Green (RHS 
             
             
               side of leaf 
               Green 
               137A) 
               137A) 
             
             
                 
               (RHS 144A) 
             
             
               Predominant number 
               equally three 
               usually three 
               equally three 
             
             
               of leaflets 
               and five 
                 
               and five 
             
             
               Relief between the 
               strong-very 
               very strong 
               medium-strong 
             
             
               veins of leaf 
               strong 
             
             
               Relative position of 
               overlaps with 
               overlaps with 
               overlaps with 
             
             
               lateral leaflets 
               terminal leaflet 
               terminal leaflet 
               terminal leaflet 
             
             
               Terminal 
             
             
               leaflet length: 
             
             
               Mean: 
               20.9 cm 
               20.6 cm 
               21.5 
             
             
               Range 
               17.4-23.7 cm 
               17.4-23.7 cm 
               19.1-25.3 cm 
             
             
               Standard deviation 
               1.7 cm 
               2 cm 
               1.8 cm 
             
             
               Terminal leaflet width: 
             
             
               Mean: 
               19.3 cm 
               18.82 cm 
               19.8 cm 
             
             
               Range: 
               17.1-21.0 cm 
               17.3-21.2 cm 
               17.7-24.8 cm 
             
             
               Standard deviation: 
               1.3 cm 
               2.1 cm 
               2.3 cm 
             
             
               Time of beginning of 
               very late 
               very early 
               very early 
             
             
               flowering on previous 
             
             
               year&#39;s cane 
             
             
               Pedicel number of 
               few-medium 
               many 
               many 
             
             
               spines 
             
             
               Intensity of 
               strong-very 
               medium-very 
               very strong 
             
             
               anthocyanin coloration 
               strong 
               strong 
             
             
               of peduncle 
             
             
               Time of beginning of 
               late 
               medium 
               early 
             
             
               fruit ripening on 
             
             
               previous year&#39;s cane 
             
             
               Fruiting lateral length 
               long 
               medium 
               medium 
             
             
               Fruit length: 
               long 
               medium 
               medium 
             
             
               Fruit width: 
               broad 
               medium 
               medium 
             
             
               Fruit length/width 
               longer than 
               slightly broader 
               as long as 
             
             
               ratio: 
               broad 
               than long 
               broad 
             
             
               General shape of fruit 
               broad conical- 
               circular 
               circular-broad 
             
             
               in lateral view 
               conical 
                 
               conical 
             
             
               Size of single drupe of 
               large 
               medium 
               medium 
             
             
               fruit 
             
             
               Fruit color 
               dark red 
               medium red 
               dark red 
             
             
                 
               (RHS 53A) 
               (RHS 46A) 
               (RHS 53A) 
             
             
               Adherence of fruit to 
               weak-medium 
               weak 
               very weak- 
             
             
               plug 
                 
                 
               weak