Petunia Plant Named ‘keipebbcmam’

Botanical designation: Petunia x hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KEIPEBBCMAM’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant, botanically known as Petunia x hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Keipebbcmam’.

The new Petunia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Katori, Chiba, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and early-flowering Petunia plants with numerous attractive flowers.

The new Petunia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventors in October 2018 in Katori, Chiba, Japan of an unnamed proprietary selection of Petunia x hybrida , not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed proprietary selection of Petunia x hybrida , not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Katori, Chiba, Japan in June 2019.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Katori, Chiba, Japan since June 2019 has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Petunia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural conditions. 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 ‘Keipebbcmam’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Keipebbcmam’ as a new and distinct Petunia plant:

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• 1. Compact and mounding to semi-trailing plant habit. • 2. Relatively vigorous growth habit. • 3. Freely branching habit. • 4. Freely flowering habit. • 5. Long continuous flowering period. • 6. Bi-colored flowers that are creamy pale yellow in color with dark purplish red-colored centers and throats. • 7. Good garden performance.

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

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• 1. The plant habit of plants of the new Petunia is not as trailing as the plant habit of plants of the female parent selection. • 2. Plants of the new Petunia are more freely flowering than plants of the female parent selection. • 3. Plants of the new Petunia are creamy pale yellow in color with dark purplish red-colored centers and throats whereas flowers of plants of the female parent selection are pink in color with white-colored star shaped central pattern.

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

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• 1. The plant habit of plants of the new Petunia is not as trailing as the plant habit of plants of the male parent selection. • 2. Plants of the new Petunia are more freely flowering than plants of the male parent selection. • 3. Plants of the new Petunia are creamy pale yellow in color with dark purplish red-colored centers and throats whereas flowers of plants of the male parent selection are red in color with close to black-colored centers and throats.

Plants of the new Petunia can also be compared to plants of the Petunia x hybrida ‘Keipekumehus’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 35,086. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Petunia and ‘Keipekumehus’ differ primarily in the following characteristics:

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• 1. Plants of the new Petunia have longer leaves than plants of ‘Keipekumehus’. • 2. Plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of ‘Keipekumehus’. • 3. Flower petal margins of plants of the new Petunia are more undulating than flower petal margins of plants of ‘Keipekumehus’. • 4. Plants of the new Petunia and ‘Keipekumehus’ differ in flower color as flowers of plants of the new Petunia are creamy pale yellow in color with dark purplish red-colored centers and throats whereas flowers of plants of ‘Keipekumehus’ are reddish purple in color with a white- colored star-shaped pattern and centers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

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

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

The photograph on the second sheet ( FIG. 2 ) is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘Keipebbcmam’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the spring in 9-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Katori, Chiba, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Petunia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 15° C. and night temperatures averaged 10° C. Plants were pinched one time and were four months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

• Botanical classification: Petunia x hybrida ‘Keipebbcmam’. • Parentage:

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• Female, or seed, parent .—Unnamed proprietary selection of Petunia x hybrida , not patented. • Male, or pollen, parent .—Unnamed proprietary selection of Petunia x hybrida , not patented. • Propagation:

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• Type .—By terminal vegetative cuttings. • Time to initiate roots, summer .—About one week at temperatures about 25° C. • Time to initiate roots, winter .—About three weeks at temperatures about 10° C. • Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer .—About three weeks at temperatures about 25° C. • Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter .—About four weeks at temperatures about 20° C. • Root description .—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically light brown to 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 .—Moderately freely branching; medium density. • Plant description:

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• Plant form and growth habit .—Compact and mounding to semi- trailing plant habit; freely branching habit with numerous lateral branches developing per plant; pinching enhances lateral branch development; relatively vigorous growth habit. • Plant height .—About 14 cm. • Plant diameter .—About 19 cm. • Lateral branch description:

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• Length .—About 13 cm. • Diameter .—About 2.8 mm. • Internode length .—About 7 mm. • Strength .—Strong, flexible. • Texture .—Pubescent. • Color .—Close to 144C. • Leaf description:

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• Arrangement .—Alternate, simple. • Length .—About 4.5 cm. • Width .—About 2.6 cm. • Shape .—Elliptic. • Apex .—Broadly acute. • Base .—Attenuate. • Margin .—Entire. • Texture, upper and lower surfaces .—Pubescent. • Venation pattern .—Pinnate. • Color .—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137C. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B. Fully expanded leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137B; venation, close to 144B. • Petioles .—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144B. • Flower description:

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• Flower arrangement and habit .—Single salverform flowers arising from upper leaf axils; freely flowering habit with numerous flowers continuously developing during the flowering season; flowers face upright to outwardly. • Fragrance .—Faint; pleasant. • Natural flowering season .—Early flowering habit; plants of the new Petunia initiate and develop flowers about two to three weeks after planting; long flowering period, plants flower continuously from late March to late October in Japan. • Flower longevity .—Individual flowers last about five days on the plant. • Flower buds .—Length: About 4.9 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Shape: Cylindrical. Color: Close to 144B. • Flower diameter .—About 6 cm. • Flower tube length .—About 3.5 cm. • Flower throat diameter .—About 1 cm. • Flower tube length .—About 2.9 cm. • Flower tube diameter, proximally .—About 4 mm. • Corolla .—Quantity and arrangement: Five in a single whorl, fused at the base and opening into a flared trumpet with shallow lobes. Petal length from throat: About 3 cm. Petal width: About 3.1 cm. Petal shape: Roughly spatulate. Petal apex: Mucronate. Petal margin: Entire; strongly undulate. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Pubescent. Color: Petal, when opening, upper surface: Close to 12D. Petal, when opening, lower surface: Close to N79A. Petal, fully opened, upper surface: Distally, close to 9D and proximally, close to N79A; venation, close to 9D and N79C; distal color becoming closer to 8C to 8D with subsequent development. Petal, fully opened, lower surface: Close to N79A; venation, close to N79A; color does not change with subsequent development. Throat: Close to N79A; venation, close to N79A. Tube: Close to N77A; venation, close to N79C. • Calyx .—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five sepals arranged in a single whorl and fused at the base. Sepal length: About 1.5 cm. Sepal width: About 6 mm. Sepal shape: Elliptic; outwardly arching. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 137A. Color, lower surface: Close to 138A. • Peduncles .—Length: About 3.1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Moderately strong, flexible. Aspect: Upright to outwardly. Texture: Pubescent; viscid. Color: Close to 143B. • Reproductive organs .—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther size: About 3 mm by 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 158D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 158B. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 2.7 cm. Style length: About 2.1 cm. Style color: Close to 158B. Stigma shape: Roughly round. Stigma color: Close to 137A. Ovary color: Close to 145A. Seeds and fruits: To date, seed and fruit development have not been observed on plants of the new Petunia. • Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C. • Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Petunia have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia plants.