Sil Claudio

Pelargonium

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'BFP-790 Pink Parfait' (Showcase Pink Parfait)

Summary: 'Sil Claudio' is a zonal pelargonium variety which produces taller, wider plants than the reference variety 'BFP-790 Pink Parfait'. The plants of 'Sil Claudio' also have more branches and longer peduncles than 'BFP-790 Pink Parfait'. The two varieties also differ in floret colour, 'Sil Claudio' has darker pink florets with a less conspicuous petal spot.

Description:

'Sil Claudio' is a zonal pelargonium variety which produces tall plants with an upright growth habit. The stems are green and red with dense pubescence. The leaves are type 3 in shape and are medium in length and width. The leaf base is partly closed and the margins are bicrenate. 'Sil Claudio' has weakly lobed leaves with shallow sinuses and weak to medium waviness of the margins. The upper side of the leaf blade is medium green, densely pubescent, with no zone. The petiole is medium in length and is densely pubescent.

'Sil Claudio' produces pink inflorescences that are medium to large in size. The peduncle is long with dense pubescence and strong anthocyanin colouration. The buds are elliptic in shape. The florets of 'Sil Claudio' are semi-double and have entire petal margins. The upper petal is medium in width with moderate to strongly conspicuous markings which consist of a spot and stripes. There is a medium to large sized white zone at the base of the upper petal. The lower petal of 'Sil Claudio' has a spotted marking which is moderately conspicuous. The pedicel has dense pubescence and is dark red in the middle third of its length. The sepals of 'Sil Claudio' are green and red.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Sil Claudio' was derived from a hybridization made in the summer of 1997, as part of a controlled breeding program in Weener, Germany. The female parent was the Pelargonium variety 'GEN Masca', characterized by its semi-double, pink flowers with purple spots and dark green foliage with a faint zone. The male parent was the Pelargonium variety 'Sel Lady', characterized by its very compact habit, semi-double pink flowers with small red spots and dark green foliage. The initial selection was made in the summer of 1998.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials for 'Sil Caludio' were conducted in a polyhouse during the spring/summer of 2004 in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trials consisted of 15 plants of each of the candidate and reference variety. Rooted cuttings were planted into 11cm pots on May 14, 2004 (Week 20). Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants of each variety on July 6, 2004. All colour measurements were made using the RHS Colour Chart 2001.

Comparison tables for 'Sil Claudio' with reference variety 'BFP-790 Pink Parfait'

Plant height (cm)

Plant width (cm)

Number of branches per plant

Length of peduncle (cm)

Colour of upper side of upper petal (RHS)

Colour of upper petal (RHS)

Colour of upper side of lower petal (RHS)

Colour of of upper side of lower petal (RHS)

Colour of lower side of lower petal (RHS)

Colour of upper side of inner petal (RHS)