Scaevola Plant Named ‘bonsc 19151’

Botanical designation: Scaevola aemula.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BONSC 19151’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Scaevola plant, botanically known as Scaevola aemula and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bonsc 19151’.

The new Scaevola plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and mounding Scaevola plants with numerous attractive flowers.

The new Scaevola plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia in March 2018 of a proprietary selection of Scaevola aemula identified by the code number 18-193, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with one of nine possible unnamed proprietary selections of Scaevola aemula (collected as bulk pollen), not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Scaevola plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia in April 2019.

Asexual reproduction of the new Scaevola plant by vegetative tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since April 2019 has shown that the unique features of this new Scaevola plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Scaevola have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions 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 ‘Bonsc 19151’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bonsc 19151’ as a new and distinct Scaevola plant:

•

• 1. Relatively compact and mounding to outwardly spreading plant habit. • 2. Moderately vigorous growth habit. • 3. Freely branching habit. • 4. Early and freely flowering habit. • 5. Long flowering period. • 6. Flowers that are dark purplish pink in color with a central purplish red-colored longitudinal stripe. • 7. Good container and garden performance.

Plants of the new Scaevola can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Scaevola differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flower color as plants of the new Scaevola have dark purplish pink-colored flowers with a central purplish red-colored longitudinal stripe whereas plants of the female parent selection have dark blue-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Scaevola can be compared to plants of the male parent selections. Plants of the new Scaevola differ primarily from plants of the male parent selections in flower color as plants of the new Scaevola have dark purplish pink-colored flowers with a central purplish red-colored longitudinal stripe whereas plants of the male parent selections have blue or dark blue-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Scaevola can be compared to plants of Scaevola aemula ‘Bonsca 1433’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,821. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Scaevola differ from plants of ‘Bonsca 1433’ in the following characteristics:

•

• 1. Plants of the new Scaevola are not as broad as plants of ‘Bonsca 1433’. • 2. Plants of the new Scaevola are more mounding than and not as spreading as plants of ‘Bonsca 1433’. • 3. Plants of the new Scaevola and ‘Bonsca 1433’ differ in flower color as flowers of plants of the new Scaevola are dark purplish pink in color with a central purplish red-colored longitudinal stripe whereas flowers of plants of ‘Bonsca 1433’ are deep pink in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Scaevola plant 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 Scaevola plant.

The photograph on the first sheet ( FIG. 1 ) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonsc 19151’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet ( FIG. 2 ) is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonsc 19151’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the summer in 24-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Scaevola production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 25° C. Plants were three months old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

• Botanical classification: Scaevola aemula ‘Bonsc 19151’. • Parentage:

•

• Female, or seed, parent .—Proprietary selection of Scaevola aemula identified as code number 18-193, not patented. • Male or pollen parent .—One of nine possible unnamed proprietary selections of Scaevola aemula (collected as bulk pollen), not patented. • Propagation:

•

• Type .—By vegetative tip cuttings. • Time to initiate roots, summer .—About ten days at temperatures about 21° C. to 25° C. • Time to initiate roots, winter .—About 15 days at temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C. • Time to develop roots, summer .—About three weeks at temperatures about 21° C. to 25° C. • Time to develop roots, winter .—About four weeks at temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C. • Root description .—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of roots. • Rooting habit .—Freely branching; medium density. • Plant description:

•

• Plant and growth habit .—Relatively compact and mounding to outwardly spreading plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit. • Branching habit .—Freely branching habit with lateral branches potentially forming at every node; pinching enhances branching potential. • Plant height .—About 24 cm. • Plant diameter ( area of spread ).—About 57 cm. • Lateral branch description:

•

• Length .—About 20.4 cm. • Diameter .—About 2.6 mm. • Internode length .—About 2.5 cm. • Aspect .—Upright to outwardly. • Texture .—Moderately pubescent; rough. • Color .—Close to 137A. • Leaf description:

•

• Arrangement .—Alternate, simple; sessile. • Length .—About 4.3 cm. • Width .—About 1.7 cm. • Shape .—Spatulate. • Apex .—Obtuse. • Base .—Attenuate. • Margin .—Sparsely serrate. • Texture, upper and lower surfaces .—Sparsely pubescent; rough. • Venation pattern .—Pinnate, reticulate. • Color .—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation, close to 137B. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation, close to 137C. • Flower description:

•

• Flower type and shape .—Zygomorphic, semi-circular, fan-shaped flowers with five petals fused at the base to form a tubular flower throat; flower throat open along the upper surface exposing the reproductive organs. • Flower arrangement and quantity .—Solitary sessile flowers arising from upper leaf axils; flowers mostly horizontal; freely flowering habit with typically about four flowers per lateral branch and about 1,328 flowers developing per plant. • Flowering time .—Early flowering habit, plants begin flowering after about three to four weeks after planting; long flower period, plants flower continuously from spring into autumn in Japan. • Flower longevity .—Flowers typically last about a week on the plant; flowers not persistent. • Fragrance .—None detected. • Flower buds .—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 2.6 mm. Shape: Lenticular. Color: Close to 182B. • Flowers .—Diameter: About 1.3 cm by 2.3 cm. Depth: About 7.8 mm. Throat diameter: About 2.8 mm. Tube length: About 1.1 cm. Tube diameter, mid-section: About 2.4 mm. Tube diameter, proximally: About 2.2 mm. • Petals .—Quantity per flower: Five, fused at base. Length, beyond tube: About 1.2 cm. Width, beyond tube: About 4.3 mm. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Cuspidate. Margin: Entire; undulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, throat: Pubescent. Texture, tube: Pubescent. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to N57B; central longitudinal stripe, close to NN78A. When opening, lower surface: Close to N57C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to N57D; central longitudinal stripe, close to 64A; venation, similar to lamina colors; color becoming closer to 63D with subsequent development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 64D; midrib, close to 60C, and lateral venation, close to 64D; color does not change with subsequent development. Throat: Distally, close to 154D and proximally, close to 151D; venation, close to 59C. Tube: Close to 154B; venation, close to 178B. • Sepals .—Quantity per flower: Two, opposite. Length: About 4 mm. Width: About 1.3 mm. Shape: Linear. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 138A. • Reproductive organs .—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower: Five. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: Close to NN155D. Anther size: About 0.3 mm by 1.8 mm. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to 153D. Pollen: Sparse. Pollen color: Close to 155A. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 8.3 mm. Style color: Close to 59B; hairs, close to 59A. Stigma color: Close to NN155D. Ovary color: Close to 143B. • Seeds and fruits .—To date, seed and fruit development have not been observed on plants of the new Scaevola. • Garden performance: Plants of the new Scaevola have been observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 40° C. • Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Scaevola have not been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Scaevola plants.