VDTG57

Dahlia

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Knockout' (Mystic Illusion)

Summary: 'VDTG57' has a shorter plant height and shorter peduncle length than 'Knockout'. 'VDTG57' has a higher number of incisions on the leaf margin than 'Knockout'. 'VDTG57' has a smaller flower head diameter than 'Knockout'. 'VDTG57' has orange brown to orange red secondary colour on the inner side of the ray floret while 'Knockout' has no secondary colour. 'VDTG57' has a larger disc diameter than 'Knockout'.

Description:

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

LEAF: predominantly bipinnate, strong wing present, long, very wide, green tinged with purple, weak to medium glossiness, smooth or very weakly rugose, veins depressed, elliptic, acute base, many shallow to medium depth incisions on margin

PEDUNCLE: medium length, brownish red to purple

FLOWER HEAD: moderately above foliage, upright to semi upright attitude, single, daisy type, no collar segments, small to medium diameter
RAY FLORET: very few in number, 1:0.68 length to width ratio, keeled upper surface with more than two keels, weakly concave to flat in cross section at mid point, flat to weakly convex in cross section at 3/4 point, no rolling of margin, longitudinal axis straight to reflexed, very weak curving at distal quarter, absent to very weak twisting, dentate to retuse apex, yellow on inner side with orange brown to orange red secondary colour in diffused stripes, outer side with orange red along keels and veins
DISC: medium diameter, orange to red brown before anther dehiscence, yellow to orange at anther dehiscence.

Origin & Breeding History: 'VDTG57' 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 2002 in Lisse, The Netherlands. A single seedling was selected in the summer of 2003 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 'VDTG57' were conducted in a polyhouse during the spring/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 'VDTG57' with reference variety 'Knockout'

Plant height (cm)

Peduncle length (cm)

Flower head diameter (cm)

Colour of ray floret (RHS)

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Dahlia: 'VDTG57' (left) with reference variety 'Knockout' (right)

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Dahlia: 'VDTG57' (left) with reference variety 'Knockout' (right)

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Dahlia: 'VDTG57' (left) with reference variety 'Knockout' (right)