Balcablav

Calibrachoa

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Cal Pur' (Callie Pur) and 'KLECA05118' (MiniFamous Compact Blue)

Summary: 'Balcablav' is taller than 'Cal Pur'. The intensity of anthocyanin colouration on the shoots of 'Balcablav' is absent to very weak while it is weak to medium on 'Cal Pur'. 'Balcablav' has two colours on the upper side of the corolla while 'KLECA05118' has only one. The main colour on the upper side of the corolla of 'Balcablav' is lighter violet than that of both reference varieties. 'Balcablav' has lighter violet colour at area of transition transition to the corolla tube than 'Cal Pur'. The lower side of the corolla lobe is light violet blue for 'Balcablav' while it is violet for 'Cal Pur'. 'Balcablav' has a longer corolla tube with weaker conspicuousness of the veins on the inner side than 'Cal Pur'.

Description:

PLANT: spreading/trailing to horizontal grown habit, medium height and width
SHOOT: medium thickness, short to medium length, absent or very weak anthocyanin colouration

LEAF BLADE: medium length, narrow, elliptic, broad acute apex, no variegation, medium green on upper side
PETIOLE: medium to long

SEPAL: medium to long, medium width, rhombic, absent or very weak anthocyanin colouration
FLOWER: single type, funnel form, medium pedicel length
COROLLA: large diameter, medium degree of lobing, two colours on upper side
COROLLA LOBE: upper side is violet with dark violet in area of transition to corolla tube, medium conspicuousness of purple veins on upper side, light blue violet on lower side, strong undulation of margin
COROLLA TUBE: yellow to light yellow on inner side, weak conspicuousness of veins on inner side
ANTHER: yellow before pollen dehiscence, yellow brown after pollen dehiscence

Origin & Breeding History: 'Balcablav' originated from a cross between two proprietary Calibrachoa breeding selections conducted during December 2003 in Elburn, Illinois, USA. The female parent is the proprietary Calibrachoa breeding selection designated '2085-1A' and the male parent is from a pollen mix of the designations '1031-9-1', '2082-3A', '2087-1', '2091-3B, '2092-1A', '2093-1A', '2093-2A', '2096-1A', '2104-1A', and 'Million Bells Yellow'. The initial selection of 'Balcablav' was made on August 4, 2004 based on its branching habit, time of flowering, flower colour and mounding to trailing growth habit. Asexual propagation since that time has been through the use of vegetative cuttings.

Tests & Trials: Trials for 'Balcablav' were conducted during the summer of 2007, in a polyhouse, in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included 20 plants each of the candidate and reference varieties. All plants were grown from rooted cuttings and transplanted into 30 cm hanging baskets on May 1, 2007. Each basket contained 4 cuttings with a total of 5 baskets per variety. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants of each variety (except for plant height where 5 plants were measured) on July 3, 2007. All colour measurements were made using the 2001 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'Balcablav' with reference varieties 'Cal Pur' and 'KLECA05118'

Plant height (cm)

Main colour of corolla lobe (RHS)

Secondary colour of corolla lobe (RHS)

Corolla tube length (mm)

Click on image for larger view

Calibrachoa: 'Balcablav' (left) with reference varieties 'Cal Pur' (center) and 'KLECA05118' (right)

Click on image for larger view

Calibrachoa: 'Balcablav' (left) with reference varieties 'Cal Pur' (center) and 'KLECA05118' (right)