USTUNI153

Petunia

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Revolution Brilliant Pink' (Surfinia Purple/Brilliant Pink), 'Sunlapur' (Surfinia Giant Purple) and 'KLEC02038' (MiniFamous Lavender Pink)

Summary: 'USTUNI153' has shorter shoots than 'Revolution Brilliant Pink' and 'Sunlapur'. The leaf blade of 'USTUNI153' is slightly larger than 'Revolution Brilliant Pink' and 'KLEC02038' and slightly wider than all of them. 'USTUNI153' has a sepal that is slightly shorter than in 'Sunlapur' but slightly longer than in 'KLEC02038' and is wider than in 'Revolution Brilliant Pink' and 'KLEC02038'. 'USTUNI153' has a larger corolla diameter than 'Revolution Brilliant Pink' and 'KLEC02038'. The degree of lobing of the corolla in 'USTUNI153' is stronger than in 'KLEC02038'. 'USTUNI153' has weaker conspicuousness of the veins on the corolla lobe than 'Revolution Brilliant Pink' and 'Sunlapur' and inside the corolla tube than 'Revolution Brilliant Pink', 'Sunlapur' and 'KLEC02038'. The colour on the inside of the corolla tube in 'USTUNI153' is white while it is violet to dark violet in 'Revolution Brilliant Pink' and 'Sunlapur'.

Description:

'USTUNI153' is a petunia variety with a creeping growth habit. The shoots are medium in length with no anthocyanin present. The leaves are medium green, ovate to elliptic in shape with a narrow to broadly acute apex. There is no variegation on the leaf blade, and there is blistering present. The sepals are linear to elliptic in shape with no anthocyanin present. 'USTUNI153' produces single, funnelform, pink flowers. The corolla has strong lobing, undulation of the margin and absent to very weak conspicuousness of the pale red/green veins. The corolla lobe apex is acute to cuspidate. The inside of the corolla tube is white and has veins of weak to medium conspicuousness. Anther colour is a yellowish white.

Origin & Breeding History: 'USTUNI153' is the product of a planned breeding program conducted by the breeder, Ushio Sakazaki of Hikone Shiga, Japan. The objectives of the program was to create new trailing petunia varieties with unique flowers, and greater disease resistance and heat tolerance. 'USTUNI153' originated from a cross made by the breeder on May 6, 1998 in Shiga, Japan, with the seed raised petunia variety 'Titan Pink' as the female parent, and a wild petunia as the male parent. The F1 seed was collected and sent to Gensingen, Germany for further breeding and selection. 'USTUNI153' was selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny on June 15, 1999 in Germany. The new petunia was selected based on larger flower size.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials for 'USTUNI153' were conducted in a polyhouse at BioFlora Inc., St. Thomas, Ontario during the summer of 2003. The trials included 15 plants of each variety. Rooted cuttings were transplanted into 15cm pots on April 25, 2003 (week 17). All colour measurements were made using RHS colour chart 2001. Unless otherwise indicated measured characteristics were based on ten measurements.

Comparison tables for 'USTUNI153' with reference varieties 'Revolution Brilliant Pink', 'Sunlapur' and 'KLEC02038'

Shoot length (cm)

Leaf length (cm)

Leaf width (cm)

Sepal length (mm)

Sepal width (mm)

Diameter of corolla (mm)

Colour of corolla lobe (RHS)

Colour of corolla tube (RHS)