|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, Hosta 'Paradise
Island’, relates
to a new and distinct cultivar of Hosta, botanically
known as a Hosta hybrid, hereinafter referred to as 'Paradise
Island'.
The Inventor discovered the new cultivar, 'Paradise
Island’, in a container in his nursery in August of 2003
in Ter Aar, The Netherlands. 'Paradise
Island' originated as a naturally occurring chimeral mutation of Hosta 'Fire Island' (unpatented).
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first
accomplished under the direction of the Inventor
utilizing in vitro propagation in Reeuwijk, The
Netherlands in September of 2005. Asexual reproduction
of the new cultivar by division and tissue culture has
shown that the unique features of 'Paradise
Island' are
stable and reproduced true to type in successive
generations.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The following traits have been repeatedly observed in
trials in Minnesota for a period of five years and
represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. These
attributes in combination distinguish 'Paradise
Island' as a new and unique cultivar of Hosta.
1. 'Paradise
Island' exhibits foliage that is
variegated with bright yellow centers and dark green
margins. As the season progresses, the centers become
yellow-green in color with the margins remaining dark
green.
2. 'Paradise
Island' exhibits upright held red
leaf petioles with the red coloration extending into the
leaf blade.
3. 'Paradise
Island' blooms in early to mid
summer with lavender flowers.
The parent plant, Hosta 'Fire Island’, has foliage that
non-variegated with yellow to yellow-green foliage and
red petioles. The closest comparison plant is 'Eye Declare’, which has similar leaf variegation and
coloration but 'Eye Declare' differs in having petioles
and leaf blades that are green and lack the red
coloration as observed with 'Paradise
Island'.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the
overall appearance and distinct characteristics of the
new Hosta, 'Paradise
Island'. The photographs were taken
of 1 year old plants as grown as grown outdoors in Ter
Aar, The Netherlands.
FIG. 1 provides an overall view of the foliage and plant
habit of the new cultivar.
The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of a
newly emerged leaf and petiole while the photograph in
FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of a mature leaf and
petiole.
The photograph in FIG. 4 provides a close-up of the new
Hosta's flowers and buds.
The colors in the photographs are as close as possible
with the photographic and printing technology utilized
and the color values cited in the DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTIONmost accurately describe the colors of the
new Hosta.
DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT
The following is a detailed description of one year-old
plants of the new cultivar as grown outdoors in Ter Aar,
The Netherlands. Plants used for data collection were
grown under average day temperatures of 10° to 25° C.
and average night temperatures of 3° to 14° C. The
phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations
in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as
it has not been tested under all possible environmental
conditions. The color determination is in accordance
with the 2001 The
Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, London, England, except where
general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance
are used.
• General description:
- Blooming period: About 4 weeks from mid June to
mid July.
- Plant habit: Herbaceous perennial,
clump-forming, mound of upright foliage.
- Height and spread: Reaches about 50 cm (19.6 in.) in height
(including flower scapes) and about 1.5 m in width when
mature.
- Hardiness: U.S.D.A. Zones 3 to 8.
- Diseases: No susceptibility or resistance to
diseases has been observed.
- Root description: Freely branched, fleshy.
- Propagation: In vitro propagation is the
preferred method utilizing typical methods for Hosta, division are also possible.
- Growth rate: Moderate.
• Foliage description:
- Leaf shape: Ovate.
- Leaf division: Simple.
- Leaf base: Cordate to obtuse.
- Leaf apex: Apiculate.
- Leaf venation: Camptodrome pattern, impressed on
upper surface and raised on lower surface, color upper
surface; 144A on centers and 137B on margins, color
lower surface; 148B to 148D on centers and 139A on
margins.
- Leaf margins: Entire, slightly wavy.
- Leaf attachment: Petiolate.
- Leaf arrangement: Basal, radiate spirally from
base.
- Leaf surface: Glabrous on upper surface and
lower surface and slightly glossy on upper surface.
- Leaf substance: Average.
- Leaf orientation: Held nearly upright on upright
petioles.
- Variegation pattern: Yellow to yellow-green
centers and narrow dark green margins.
- Leaf color: Emerging foliage, upper surface;
N144A and N144B with margin 143A, emerging foliage lower
surface; 150B with margin 144B, mature foliage upper
surface; 144B, 145C and 1C with margin 137A, 139A and
141B with base dotted with 187C and 187D, mature foliage
lower surface; 145B, 145C, 154C and 154D with margin
138A.
- Leaf size: Average of 10.4.0 cm (1.6 in.) in length and 7.7 cm (2.8 in.) in width.
- Leaf quantity: About 8 per shoot (eye).
- Petioles: About 13.2 cm in length, an average of
4 mm in width, glabrous surface, sulcate shape, color
upper surface; 145B and heavily dotted with 187B and
187C, color of lower surface; a mixture of 145A and 145B
and heavily dotted with 184A and 184B.
• Flower scape description:
- Scape shape: Round, solid.
- Scape number: One per mature eye under normal
growing conditions.
- Scape posture: Straight, held nearly upright.
- Scape size: Average of 50 cm (19.6 in.) in length and 5 mm
in width.
- Scape color: 144D heavily speckled with color
between 59B and 59C.
- Scape surface: Glabrous.
- Leaf bracts: Average of 1 per scape, oblong in
shape, apiculate apex, truncate base, papery texture and
translucent, average of 3.2 cm in length and 8 mm in
width, curved inward towards stem, color 161B suffused
with N79B at base.
• Flower description:
- Inflorescence type: Terminal racemes of single
bell-shaped flowers on elongated scapes.
- Inflorescence size: An average of 5 cm (2 in.) in height
and 2.0 cm (0.8 in.) in diameter.
- Lastingness of Inflorescence: About 4 weeks from
first opening bloom to fading of last opening bloom,
individual blooms last about one day.
- Flower shape: Bell-shaped.
- Flower number: About 20 per scape.
- Flower internode length: Average of 9 mm.
- Flower fragrance: None detected.
- Flower bud shape: Oval.
- Flower bud size: About 3.5 cm (1.4 in.) in length and 1.1
cm in diameter.
- Flower bud color: 85A with stripes and shadings
of 84A.
- Flower size: About 3.5 cm (1.4 in.) in length and about
1.5 cm (0.6 in.) in diameter.
- Flower color: Blend of 85A and 84A.
- Pedicels: About 3 mm in length, 2 mm in
diameter, color 145D, surface is glabrous.
- Perianth features: Comprised of 6 tepals, 3
interior and 3 exterior, overlapping in expanded region
and fused in tube region.
- Tepals: Spathulate in shape, about 3.5 cm (1.4 in.) in
length, about 1.0 cm (0.4 in.) in width, glabrous surface on upper
and lower surface, entire margin, fused base, acute
apex, color of outer and inner surface; 85A with stripes
and shading of 84A and base of 84D.
- Floral bracts: Average of 1 per flower, narrowly
ovate in shape, acute apex, truncate base, papery
texture and translucent, average of 2.0 cm (0.8 in.) in length and 1.0 cm (0.4 in.) in width, curved inward towards stem, color of upper
and lower surface is 161B suffused and striped with
N79B.
• Reproductive organs:
- Gynoecium: 1 Pistil, style is about 3 cm (1.2 in.) in
length, 1 mm in width and 145D in color, stigma is
pilose and 145C in color, ovary is superior, compound,
composed of 3 locules, oblong in shape, about 4 mm in
length and 1.5 mm in width, and 163C in color.
- Androecium: 6 stamens, filament is 145D in
color, 2.7 cm (2.8 in.) in length, 1 mm in width, recurved and
about same length as perianth, anthers are 4 mm in
length, 1 mm in width, attachment is versatile, 202A in
color, dehiscence is longitudinal, pollen is abundant
and 15B in color.
- Fruit/Seed: Production of seed capsules was not
observed. |
According to the U.S. government, a new Hosta cultivar is an "invention". Therefore, it is
eligible to receive a patent, just like Edison's electric light
bulb. In the case of hostas and other plants, a patent means
that for the next 20 years, nobody may propagate and sell this
cultivar without providing compensation to the owner of the
patent. This is a different process than registering a Hosta with 
