VDTG61

Dahlia

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Scarlet Fern' (Mystic Desire) and 'HS Flame' (Happy Single Flame)

Summary: 'VDTG61' has a shorter plant height than 'HS Flame'. 'VDTG61' has a shorter peduncle length than 'Scarlet Fern'. 'VDTG61' has a smaller flower head diameter than the reference varieties. The primary colour on the inner side of the ray floret is red for 'VDTG61' while it is red to orange red for 'Scarlet Fern' and dark purple red for 'HS Flame'. The secondary colour on the inner side of the ray floret is orange red for 'VDTG61' while it is yellow orange for 'Scarlet Fern' and 'HS Flame'.

Description:

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

LEAF: predominantly bipinnate, moderate wing present, very long, very wide, green tinged with purple, medium glossiness, smooth to very weakly rugose, veins depressed, ovate and elliptic, acute base, medium to many incisions on margin, incisions medium to deep

PEDUNCLE: short to medium length, brownish red

FLOWER HEAD: moderately above foliage, upright to semi upright attitude, single, daisy type, no collar segments, small diameter
RAY FLORET: few in number, 1:0.68 length to width ratio, keeled upper surface with two keels, weakly concave in cross section at mid point, weakly revolute rolling of margin at distal half, longitudinal axis straight, absent to very weak twisting, mamillate apex, red on inner side with red orange secondary colour in a flushed pattern on distal three quarters, outer side red
DISC: medium diameter, red brown before anther dehiscence, yellow to orange at anther dehiscence.

Origin & Breeding History: 'VDTG61' 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 'VDTG61' 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 'VDTG61' with reference varieties 'Scarlet Fern' and 'HS Flame'

Plant height (cm)

Peduncle length (cm)

Flower head diameter (cm)

Colour of ray floret (RHS)

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Dahlia: 'VDTG61' (left) with reference variety 'HS Flame' (right)

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Dahlia: 'VDTG61' (left) with reference variety 'Scarlet Fern' (right)