VDTG14

Dahlia

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'HS Flame' (Happy Single Flame)

Summary: 'VDTG14' has a shorter plant height than 'HS Flame'. 'VDTG14' has a smaller flower head diameter and shorter, narrower ray florets than 'HS Flame'. The inner side of the ray floret is red with yellow at the basal three quarters for 'VDTG14' while it is dark purple red to red with yellow orange at the base for 'HS Flame'.

Description:

PLANT: upright growth habit, medium height, brownish red stem colour

LEAF: predominantly bipinnate, moderate wing present, long, wide, green tinged with brownish red on veins and midrib, weak to medium glossiness, smooth to weakly rugose, veins flat to raised, elliptic, acute to attenuate base, medium to many incisions on margin, incisions medium in depth

PEDUNCLE: medium to long, brownish red

FLOWER HEAD: at same level to moderately above foliage, upright to semi upright attitude, single, daisy type, no collar segments, small diameter
RAY FLORET: very few, short, very narrow, 1:0.57 length to width ratio, keeled upper surface with more than two keels, moderately concave in cross section at mid point, weakly concave in profile in cross section at 3/4 point, margin not rolled, longitudinal axis incurved, weak curving from distal quarter to distal half, absent to very weak twisting, mamillate apex, red with yellow secondary colour on inner side, secondary colour on basal three quarters in a solid or nearly solid pattern, colour on outer side similar to inner side, red to orange brown along keels on outer side
DISC: small, orange to red brown before anther dehiscence, yellow to orange at anther dehiscence.

Origin & Breeding History: 'VDTG14' originated from an open pollinated cross between the female parent, a Dahlia plant identified as 'R', and an unidentified male parent. The cross took place in the summer of 2003 in Lisse, The Netherlands. A single seedling was selected in the summer of 2004 based on criteria for flower form, flower colour, compact plant habit and dark foliage colour. Asexual propagation by cuttings was first conducted in Lisse, The Netherlands, in the spring of 2005.

Tests & Trials: Trials for 'VDTG14' were conducted in a polyhouse during the summer of 2008 at BioFlora Inc. in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included 15 plants per variety. All plants were grown from rooted cuttings and transplanted into 15 cm pots on May 15, 2008. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants of each variety on July 8, 2008. All colour determinations were made using the 2001 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'VDTG14' with reference variety 'HS Flame'

Plant height (cm)

Flower head diameter (cm)

Ray floret length (cm)

Ray floret width (cm)

Colour of ray floret (RHS)

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Dahlia: 'VDTG14' (left) with reference variety 'HS Flame' (right)

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Dahlia: 'VDTG14' (left) with reference variety 'HS Flame' (right)

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Dahlia: 'VDTG14' (left) with reference variety 'HS Flame' (right)