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Virgin

Coneflower

Denomination: 'Virgin'
Botanical Name: Echinacea purpurea
Applicant/Holder: Oudolf, Petrus Hendricus
Broekstraat 17, 6999 De
Hummelo
Netherlands
Breeder: Petrus Hendricus Oudolf, Hummelo, Netherlands
Agent in Canada: Variety Rights Management
475 County Road 18
R.R. #2
Oxford Station, Ontario
K0G 1T0
Canada
Tel: 613-258-9015
Application Date: 2006-11-30
Application Number: 06-5682
Grant of Rights Date: 2010-12-13
Certificate Number: 3986
Grant of Rights Termination Date: 2028-12-13

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'White Swan'

Summary: The plants of 'Virgin' are taller than those of 'White Swan'. 'Virgin' has flowers with a smaller diameter and more ray florets than 'White Swan'. The ray florets of 'Virgin' are shorter than those of 'White Swan'. 'Virgin' has disc florets which are dark green and light green while 'White Swan' has disc florets which are grey and orange brown.

Description:

PLANT: vegetatively propagated, perennial, upright bushy growth habit, sparse to medium degree of branching
STEM: dark green, medium to dense pubescence

LEAF BLADE: alternate arrangement, simple, ovate and lanceolate, acute apex, attenuate base, serrate margin, dark green on upper side, no variegation, no petiole

FLOWER: one flowering period, mid-season flowering, medium to long flowering period, head inflorescence, both terminal and axillary position, erect attitude
RAY FLORET: medium number, straight longitudinal axis, white (RHS 155D/157D) on upper side
DISC: present, dark green (RHS 144A) and light green (RHS 145C) florets

Origin & Breeding History: 'Virgin' originated as a chance seedling in the nursery of Mr. P.H. Oudolf in Hummelo, The Netherlands, in 2004. The new variety was discovered as a chance seeding in a nursery block of un-named Echinacea purpurea plants that had been allowed to set seed in 2003. 'Virgin' was selected based on improved form and floral traits.

Tests & Trials: Trials for 'Virgin' were conducted during the summer of 2009, in Oxford Station, Ontario. Fifteen plants each of the candidate and reference varieties were grown in 15 cm pots spaced 60 cm apart in a polyhouse. All colour determinations were made using the 2001 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.


Comparison tables for 'Virgin' with reference variety 'White Swan'

Plant height (cm)

  'Virgin' 'White Swan'
mean 77.67 68.33
std. deviation 5.75 5.61

Flower diameter (cm)

  'Virgin' 'White Swan'
mean 9.50 11.40
std. deviation 0.79 0.82

Number of ray florets

  'Virgin' 'White Swan'
mean 24.29 19.17
std. deviation 1.25 0.98

Ray floret length (cm)

  'Virgin' 'White Swan'
mean 3.99 5.03
std. deviation 0.31 0.47

Colour of disc (RHS)

  'Virgin' 'White Swan'
floret 144A and 145C 197A and N172B

Click on image for larger view
Virgin
Coneflower: 'Virgin' (left) with reference variety 'White Swan' (right)

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