Sunbelkos

Calibrachoa

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Sunbelchipi' (Million Bells Cherry Pink)

Summary: Sunbelkos' has thinner stems and smaller leaves than 'Sunbelchipi'. The flowers of 'Sunbelkos' are larger in diameter with more conspicuous venation on the upper side of the corolla than those of 'Sunbelchipi'. The colour of the upper side of the corolla is purple red and blue pink with a red ring at the area of transition to the corolla tube for 'Sunbelkos' while it is purple red for 'Sunbelchipi'. The veins on the upper side of the corolla lobes are dark pink for 'Sunbelkos' whereas they are red brown for 'Sunbelchipi'.

Description:

'Sunbelkos' is a calibrachoa variety with a medium plant width and mounding plant growth habit. The shoots are medium thick with moderate anthocyanin colouration. The leaves are medium green with no variegation. The leaf blades vary in shape from elliptic to oblanceolate with a narrow to broad acute shaped apex and no blistering. The sepals are lanceolate in shape with no anthocyanin colouration.

'Sunbelkos' produces single type, funnel form flowers with a moderate degree of lobing of the corolla. The colour of the upper side of the corolla is purple red and blue pink with a red ring at the area of transition to the corolla tube. The veins on the upper side of the corolla are dark pink and moderate in conspicuousness. The corolla lobes have a cuspidate to truncate shaped apex and moderate undulation of the margin. The inner side of the corolla tube is yellow with strong conspicuousness of the veins. Before pollen dehiscence, the anthers are yellow.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Sunbelkos' originated from a controlled cross using 'Sunbelchipi' (Million Bells Cherry Pink) as the female parent and a petunia plant designated 'P54' as the male parent. The cross took place at the Omi Research & Development Center, Flower Division of Suntory Ltd. located at 863-1, Aza-Iketani, Omori-cho, Yokaichi-shi, Shiga-ken, Japan during May of 1997. From this cross, five seedlings were selected at the end of September 1998 based on their semi-erect plant growth habit and deep purple pink petals. Upon final selection in September of 1999, 'Sunbelkos' was propagated by cuttings and evaluated in pot, greenhouse and field trials from April to November of 2000.

Tests & Trials: The test and trial for 'Sunbelkos' was conducted in a polyhouse during the summer of 2004 in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included 15 plants of each variety. All plants were grown from rooted cuttings and transplanted into 11 cm pots on August 30, 2004. All colour characteristics were determined using the 2001 RHS colour chart and measured characteristics were based on ten plant measurements.

Comparison tables for 'Sunbelkos' with reference variety 'Sunbelchipi'

Leaf blade length (cm)

Leaf blade width (cm)

Corolla diameter (mm)

Colour of corolla (RHS)