Calibrachoa Plant Named ‘docalalkotibu’

Botanical designation: Calibrachoa parviflora.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOCALALKOTIBU’.

CROSS REFERENCED TO CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATION

A European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Applicant/Assignee, Dümmen Group B.V. of De Lier, The Netherlands on Aug. 21, 2023, application number 2023/1735 and published on Dec. 15, 2023. Foreign priority is not claimed to this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant, botanically known as Calibrachoa parviflora and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Docalalkotibu’.

The new Calibrachoa plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely branching and early-flowering Calibrachoa plants with numerous large and attractive flowers.

The new Calibrachoa plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in July 2020 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selection of Calibrachoa parviflora identified as code number AA20-K0059, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Calibrachoa parviflora identified as code number AA20-K0108, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Calibrachoa 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 Rheinberg, Germany in April 2021.

Asexual reproduction of the new Calibrachoa plant by vegetative terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since April 2021 has shown that the unique features of this new Calibrachoa plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Calibrachoa 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 ‘Docalalkotibu’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Docalalkotibu’ as a new and distinct Calibrachoa plant:

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• 1. Upright to outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit with plants eventually becoming trailing and decumbent. • 2. Relatively vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate. • 3. Freely branching habit. • 4. Early and freely flowering habit. • 5. Relatively large flowers with light purple-colored petals with reddish purple-colored centers and violet-colored venation. • 6. Good container and garden performance.

The new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

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• 1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa flower earlier than plants of the female parent selection. • 2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are more freely flowering than plants of the female parent selection. • 3. Plants of the new Calibrachoa have rounded flowers whereas plants of the female parent selection have more star-shaped flowers.

The new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

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• 1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are more vigorous than plants of the male parent selection. • 2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are more uniformly mounded than plants of the male parent selection. • 3. Flowers of plants of the new Calibrachoa have light purple-colored petals with reddish purple-colored centers and violet-colored venation whereas flowers of plants of the male parent selection are solid purple in color.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa can also be compared to plants of Calibrachoa parviflora ‘Docalalkotiblusk’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily from plants of ‘Docalalkotiblusk’ in the following characteristics:

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• 1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are more vigorous than plants of ‘Docalalkotiblusk’. • 2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are more freely branching than plants of ‘Docalalkotiblusk’. • 3. Plants of the new Calibrachoa have larger flowers than plants of ‘Docalalkotiblusk’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Calibrachoa plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Calibrachoa plant.

The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Docalalkotibu’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the spring and summer in 22-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Calibrachoa production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Plants were twelve weeks old when the photograph was taken and 25 weeks old when the detailed description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

• Botanical classification: Calibrachoa parviflora ‘Docalalkotibu’. • Parentage:

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• Female, or seed, parent .—Proprietary selection of Calibrachoa parviflora identified as code number AA20-K0059, not patented. • Male, or pollen, parent .—Proprietary selection of Calibrachoa parviflora identified as code number AA20-K0108, not patented. • Propagation:

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• Type .—By vegetative cuttings. • Time to initiate roots, summer .—About five days at temperatures about 20° C. • Time to initiate roots, winter .—About seven days at temperatures about 20° C. • Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer .—About three weeks at temperatures about 20° C. • Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter .—About four weeks at temperatures about 20° C. • Root description .—Fine, fibrous; close to 158A in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizers, substrate temperature and age of roots. • Rooting habit .—Freely branching; dense. • Plant description:

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• Plant and growth habit .—Upright to outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit with plants eventually becoming trailing and decumbent; relatively vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate; freely branching habit with about ten primary lateral branches each with about four secondary lateral branches developing per plant; pinching enhances branching potential; dense and full appearance. • Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane .—About 19 cm. • Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane .—About 18.5 cm. • Plant diameter ( spread of plant ).—About 52.5 cm. • Lateral branch description:

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• Length .—About 21 cm. • Diameter .—About 4 mm. • Internode length .—About 2.3 cm. • Strength .—Strong. • Aspect .—Initially upright to outwardly spreading and eventually trailing and decumbent. • Texture and luster .—Pubescent; glossy. • Color, developing .—Close to 138B. • Color, developed .—Close to 145A; at the internodes, close to 144B. • Leaf description:

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• Arrangement .—Before flowering, alternate, and after flowering, opposite; simple. • Length .—About 3.25 cm. • Width .—About 9 mm. • Shape .—Oblanceolate. • Apex .—Rounded. • Base .—Attenuate. • Margin .—Entire. • Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces .—Pubescent; matte. • Venation pattern .—Pinnate; arcuate. • Color .—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137C. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137D; venation, close to 138C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation, close to 144B. • Petioles .—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; matte. Color, upper surface: Close to 183C. Color, lower surface: Close to 144B. • Flower description:

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• Flower arrangement and habit .—Single rounded and salverform flowers arising from leaf axils; freely flowering habit with usually about 436 flowers and flower buds developing per plant during the flowering season; flowers face mostly upright to somewhat outwardly. • Fragrance .—None detected. • Natural flowering season .—Early flowering habit, plants of the new Calibrachoa begin flowering about four weeks after planting rooted young plants; plants flower continuously from the spring throughout the summer in Germany. • Flower longevity .—Individual flowers last about seven to ten days on the plant; flowers not persistent. • Flower buds .—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Shape: Elongated oblong. Texture and luster: Rippled; semi-glossy. Color: Immature sepals, close to 137C; immature petals, close to N82B. • Flower diameter .—About 3.7 cm by 4.2 cm. • Flower depth ( height ).—About 3 cm. • Flower throat diameter .—About 8 mm. • Flower tube length .—About 1.9 cm. • Flower tube diameter, distally .—About 9 mm. • Corolla .—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat: About 2.1 cm. Petal lobe width: About 2.1 cm. Petal shape: Roughly spatulate. Petal apex: Rounded. Petal margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Petal texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Petal, when opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to N82C. Petal, fully opened, upper surface: Close to 85C; venation, close to 86A; color becoming closer to N87A with subsequent development. Petal, fully opened, lower surface: Close to 85A; venation, close to N77B; color does not change with subsequent development. Throat: Close to N77C with dense venation, close to N77B. Tube: Close to 150C; venation, close to N77B. • Calyx .—Arrangement: Star-shaped calyx with five sepals; sepals fused at the base. Sepal length: About 1.1 cm. Sepal width: About 3.5 mm. Sepal shape: Lanceolate. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; matte. Color: When developing, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137C. Fully developed, upper surface: Close to 137B. Fully developed, lower surface: Close to 137C. • Peduncles .—Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle: About 45° from lateral branch axis. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster: Pubescent; matte. Color: Close to 144A. • Reproductive organs .—Stamens: Quantity: Five per flower. Filament length: About 5 mm. Filament color: Close to 145D. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to 10C. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 13C. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Style length: About 8 mm. Style color: Close to 144C. Stigma diameter: About 1 mm. Stigma shape: Ellipsoidal. Stigma color: Close to 144B. Ovary color: Close to 144C. Fruits: Quantity produced per plant: About 96 develop per plant during the flowering season. Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144C and 144D. Seeds: Quantity per flower: About 52. Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 200B. • Garden performance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have been observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain, temperatures ranging from about 3° C. to about 28° C. and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness Zone 11. • Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Calibrachoa have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Calibrachoa plants.