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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present Invention relates to a new and
distinct cultivar of Hosta plant, botanically known as Hosta hybrid, and hereinafter referred to by the
cultivar name 'Paradise Joyce'.
The new Hosta was discovered by the Inventor in
a controlled environment in Ter Aar, The Netherlands, as
a whole plant mutation of the Hosta hybrid cultivar
'Halcyon', not patented, in 1993. Plants of the cultivar
'Halcyon' have solid blue-green-colored leaves whereas
plants of the new Hosta have variegated leaves.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by
divisions harvested in Ter Aar, The Netherlands, has
shown that the unique features of this new Hosta are
stable and reproduced true to type in successive
generations.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Plants of the cultivar Paradise Joycehave not
been observed under all possible environmental
conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with
variations in environment such as temperature, light
intensity, daylength, irrigation amount and frequency,
and/or fertilizer rate without, however, any variance in
genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly
observed and are determined to be the unique
characteristics of 'Paradise Joyce'. These
characteristics in combination distinguish 'Paradise Joyce' as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Variegated leaf color.
2. Relatively compact plant habit.
3. Light lavender-colored flowers that are
positioned above the foliage on strong and erect scapes.
Plants of the new Hosta can be compared to
plants of the variegated Hosta hybrid 'June', not
patented. Compared to plants of the new Hosta, plants of
the cultivar June have darker and duller leaf colors.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS
The accompanying colored photographs illustrate
the overall appearance of the new Hosta, 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 more
accurately describe the actual colors of the new Hosta.
The photograph on the first sheet comprises a
side perspective view of typical flowering plants of 'Paradise Joyce' grown in containers.
The photograph at the top of the second sheet
is a close-up view of typical flowers of 'Paradise Joyce'.
The photograph at the bottom of the second
sheet is a close-up view of the upper surface of a
typical leaf of 'Paradise Joyce'.
DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
In the following description, color references
are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary
significance are used. Plants used for the following
description were about 40 weeks old and grown in 17-cm
containers under field conditions which closely
approximate commercial production conditions during the
spring and summer in Ter Aar, The Netherlands.
+ Botanical Classification: Hosta hybrid cultivar
Paradise Joyce.
+ Parentage: Whole plant mutation of Hosta hybrid
cutlivar 'Halcyon', not patented.
Propagation:
Type cutting. - By divisions.
Rooting time. - Divisions harvested in the
spring develop roots in about 30 days.
Root description. - Fleshy.
Plant description:
Form. - Perennial flowering plant; initially
upright becoming outwardly arching as leaves develop;
inverted triangle. Moderately clumping. Appropriate for
17-cm containers.
Crop time. - After rooting, about 40 weeks are
required to produce finished flowering plants in 17-cm
containers.
Plant height. - From soil level to top of leaf
plane: About 20 cm (7.9 in.) . From soil level to top of flowering
stems: About 45 cm (17.7 in.) .
Plant diameter. - About 40 cm (15.7 in.) .
Vigor. - Moderately vigorous.
Foliage description. - Leaves basal, simple,
generally symmetrical, and long-persisting. Length:
About 12 cm (4.7 in.) . Width: About 6.8 cm (2.7 in.) . Shape: Ovate. Apex:
Acuminate to apiculate. Base: Rounded to cordate.
Margin: Entire. Texture: Glabrous, dull. Petiole:
Length: About 15 cm (5.9 in.) . Diameter: About 7 mm. Color: Young
foliage, upper surface: Center, 144B; margins, 133B to
139B. Young foliage, lower surface: Center, 144B;
margins, 136B; glaucous. Mature foliage, upper surface:
Center, 144A to 2D; margins, 137A to 137B. Mature
foliage, lower surface: Center, 145C; margins, 136B to
137B; glaucous. Petiole color: 145A to 145C.
Flower description:
Appearance. - Single campanulate flowers with
fused perianth arranged on one-side racemes. Flowering
stems arise from leaf axils. Typically two flowering
stems per plant. Flowers not persistent.
Quantity of flowers. - About 20 flowers per
raceme.
Natural flowering season. - Summer in The
Netherlands; flowering continuous.
Fragrance. - Not fragrant.
Flower longevity. - About 4 to 7 days.
Flower size. - Length: About 6.5 cm (2.6 in.) . Diameter:
About 1.5 cm (0.6 in.) .
Flower buds (about days before
opening). - Length: About 3.4.0 cm (1.6 in.) . Diameter: About 9 mm.
Shape: Oblanceolate. Color: 76B to 85C.
Perianth. - Arrangement: Three interior and
three exterior tepals; fused. Tepal length: About 5 cm (2 in.) .
Tepal width: About 8 mm. Tepal shape: Elongated; apex,
acute; margin, entire. Tepal texture: Smooth; glabrous.
Tepal color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces:
76C. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: 76D.
Floral bracts. - Arrangement: At pedicel base.
Length: About 2.5 cm (1.0 in.) . Width: About 1.1 cm. Shape:
Broadly lanceolate. Color: 145C to 145D.
Pedicel. - Length: About 5 mm. Angle: Erect to
about 30° from vertical. Strength: Moderate to strong.
Color: 76C.
Scape. - Length: About 45 cm (17.7 in.) . Aspect: Mostly
upright. Texture: Smooth; glaucous. Color: 188A to 188B.
Reproductive organs. - Stamens: Quantity: Six;
dorsifixed. Anther size: About 3 by 1 mm. Anther color:
Dark purple blue. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pistils:
Quantity: One. Pistil length: About 5 cm (2 in.) . Style length:
About 4.8 cm (1.9 in.) . Style color: 150D. Stigma color: 157D.
Ovary color: 145A.
Seed description. - Seed development has not
been observed.
Disease resistance: Plants of the new Hosta have been noted to be somewhat resistant to pathogens
common to Hosta. |
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 
