Lobetis

Lobelia

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Blue Star'

Summary: 'Lobetis' has a narrower plant width with denser branching than 'Blue Star'. The stems of 'Lobetis' are light green in colour with absent to very weak anthocyanin colouration while those of 'Blue Star' are dark green with strong anthocyanin. 'Lobetis' has longer, darker green leaves than 'Blue Star'. Lobetis' has wider upper corolla lobes than 'Blue Star'. At the base of the lower lobe of the corolla for 'Lobetis' there is a large white zone with no markings while for 'Blue Star' there is a small white zone at the base with a dark violet blue spot.

Description:

'Lobetis' is a vegetatively propagated lobelia variety which has an upright bushy growth habit and a dense to very dense branching habit. The stem is moderately thick, light green in colour, and has absent to very weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration. There is no pubescence on the stem. The simple leaves are arranged alternately on the stems. The upper leaf blades are linear in shape and the lower leaf blades are lanceolate. The leaf blades have an acute shaped apex with a short terminal tip. The margins of the leaf blades are entire to weakly serrate. The leaf blade is dark green in colour with no variegation. There is no petiole.

The sepals of 'Lobetis' are acuminate in shape and anthocyanin colouration is present. The inflorescence is a raceme type with flowers in both terminal and axillary locations. Attitude of the flowers is upright to outwards. Anthocyanin colouration of the pedicel is absent. Flower colour is violet blue with a large white spot at the base of the lower corolla lobe. There are no other corolla markings.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Lobetis' originated from a cross between 'P140', a selection of Lobelia erinus with a blue & white flower colour, and strong, compact, spreading growth habit, and 'Y694', a variety of Lobelia valida with blue & white flower colour. The cross took place in 1998 at Syngenta Seeds B.V. in Enkhuizen, the Netherlands. Selection of 'Lobetis' in 1999 was based on plant habit, plant vigour, flower colour and size, branching, floriferousness and earliness of flowering.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials for 'Lobetis' were conducted in a greenhouse during the summer of 2003 at BioFlora Inc. in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial consisted of 15 plants per variety grown from unrooted cuttings. The cuttings rooted in week 22 and were transplanted into 11cm pots in week 26. All colour characteristics were determined using the 2001 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) colour chart and measured characteristics were based on ten plant measurements.

Comparison tables for 'Lobetis' with reference variety 'Blue Star'

Plant height (cm)

Plant width (cm)

Leaf blade length (cm)

Leaf blade width (cm)

Upper corolla lobe length (mm)

Upper corolla lobe width (mm)

Lower corolla lobe length (mm)

Lower corolla lobe width (mm)

Colour of lower corolla lobes (RHS)

Colour of marking on lower lobes (RHS)

Colour of of corolla tube (RHS)