Alice

Geranium

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Ballerina'

Summary: The plants of 'Alice' are wider than those of 'Ballerina'. 'Alice' has longer leaf blades than 'Ballerina'. The upper side of the petals of 'Alice' have no secondary colour at the base while those of 'Ballerina' have a darker violet colour at the base.

Description:

PLANT: vegetatively propagated, perennial, mounded growth habit
STEM: dark green colour, very sparse to sparse pubescence

LEAF: rosette arrangement, simple, orbicular, acute apex, cordate and sagittate base, lobed margin, very sparse to sparse pubescence on upper and lower sides, dark green on upper side, no variegation, petiole present

PEDUNCLE: present, absent or very weak anthocyanin colouration
FLOWER: one flowering period, early flowering, long flowering period, simple, erect attitude
PETALS: touching, few, rounded, retuse apex, very sparse to sparse pubescence on upper side, violet (RHS N78D) to blue pink (RHS N74D) on upper side, violet (RHS 77A) veins on upper side, blue pink (RHS N74D) on lower side

Origin & Breeding History: 'Alice' originated from the open pollination of un-named selections of Geranium cinereum, in 1999. The new variety was discovered and selected from the resultant seedling population at the nursery of Mr. C. Lowe in New Port, United Kingdom, in 2000. 'Alice' was selected based on flower colour.

Tests & Trials: Trials for 'Alice' were conducted during the summer of 2009, in Oxford Station, Ontario. Eleven plants of the candidate variety and ten plants of the reference variety 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 'Alice' with reference variety 'Ballerina'

Plant width (cm)

Leaf blade length (cm)

Colour of upper side of petal (RHS)

Click on image for larger view

Geranium: 'Alice' (bottom) with reference variety 'Ballerina' (top)