Gauka

Gaura

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Siskiyou Pink' and 'Perky Pink'

Summary: 'Gauka' has a spinose-dentate leaf margin while 'Siskiyou Pink' has an entire to weak spinose-dentate leaf margin. 'Gauka' has darker petal colour than the reference varieties.

Description:

PLANT: semi-upright, dense branching

STEM: medium thickness, medium green, moderate pubescence

LEAVES: alternate arrangement, narrow elliptic, acute apex with mucronate tip, attenuate base, spinose dentate margin, weak undulation of margin, dense pubescence on upper and lower side, medium to dark green, no variegation, anthocyanin colouration on midrib

SEPAL: lanceolate, absent or very sparse pubescence on upper side, medium pubescence on lower side, medium anthocyanin colouration

INFLORESCENCE: almost continuous flowering, raceme
BUD: medium to strong anthocyanin colouration
COROLLA TUBE: medium to strong anthocyanin colouration
PETAL: elliptic, broadly acute apex with rounded tip, attenuate base, slightly irregular margin, blue pink on upper side with purple red veins.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Gauka' originated from a cross made in 1998, at the Plant Breeding Institute in New South Wales, Australia, between the female parent, 'Whirling Butterflies' and the male parent 'Siskiyou Pink'. Several F1 seedlings were pot trialed and field tested during 1999 and the new variety was selected in December 2000 based on growth habit and flower colour. Asexual reproduction by vegetative cuttings was first conducted in December 1999, in a controlled environment in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia.

Tests & Trials: The tests and trials for 'Gauka' were conducted in a polyhouse at BioFlora in St. Thomas, Ontario in the summer of 2006. The trials included 15 plants of each variety. Rooted cuttings were transplanted into 15 cm pots on May 10, 2006. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants of each variety. All colour measurements were made using the 2001 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour chart.

Comparison table for 'Gauka' with reference varieties 'Siskiyou Pink' and 'Perky Pink'

Colour of upper side of petal (RHS)

Click on image for larger view

Gaura: 'Gauka' (left) with reference varieties 'Siskiyou Pink' (centre) and 'Perky Pink' (right)