FLOWER PIGMENTATION IN PELARGONIUM HORTORUM
The present invention relates to novel Pelargonium hortorum -interspecific plants having dark red to burgundy or darker pigmented flower petal, a trailing growth habit, dark leaf color and tolerance to high temperatures, high light and edema. The present invention also relates to methods for creating novel Pelargonium hortorum -interspecific hybrid plants having dark red to burgundy or darker pigmented flower petals, a trailing growth habit and tolerance to high temperatures, high light and edema.
1 . A pelargonium hortorum plant having an increased anthocyanin content of at least about 26 mg per petal dry weight.
2 . A Pelargonium hortorum plant having a desired trait, wherein said trait is selected from the group of a trailing growth habit, increased tolerance to light, increased tolerance to heat and increased tolerance to edema.
3 . A method of introducing a desired trait into a pelargonium plant wherein the method comprises: (a) crossing a first parent Pelargonium hortorum plant with a second parent pelargonium plant that comprises a desired trait to produce progeny plants wherein the desired trait is selected from the group consisting of trailing growth habit, tolerance to high light, tolerance to high temperatures, dark flower color or tolerance to edema; and (b) selecting one or more progeny plants that have the desired trait to produce selected progeny plants.
4 . A pelargonium plant produced by the method of claim 3 .
5 - 20 . (canceled)
21 . A Pelargonium hortorum plant having a cyanidin/peonidin concentration greater than 6.9 mg·g −1 dry weight of petal.
22 . A Pelargonium hortorum plant having a cyanidin/peonidin concentration between 6.9 mg·g −1 dry weight of petal and 23.0 mg·g −1 dry weight of petal.
23 . A Pelargonium hortorum plant having a pelargonidin concentration less than 7.3 mg·g −1 dry weight of petal.