Bludena

Verbena

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Lan Bule' (Lanai Blue) and 'Sunmarimura' (Temari Blue)

Summary: The stems of 'Bludena' are light green in colour and have absent or very weak anthocyanin colouration while the stems of the reference varieties are medium green with weak to medium anthocyanin for 'Lan Bule' and weak anthocyanin for 'Sunmarimura'. The colour of the tip of the hairs at the edge of the corolla tube are grey-purple for 'Bludena' while they are whitish-yellow for 'Sunmarimura'. The upper side of the corolla is dark violet to blue violet for 'Bludena' while it is violet for the reference varieties. The eye on the corolla of 'Bludena' is dark purple while the eye of 'Lan Bule' is green yellow and the eye of 'Sunmarimura' is whitish green to yellow.

Description:

PLANT: creeping growth habit
STEM: dense pubescence, light green, absent or very weak anthocyanin colouration on middle third

LEAF: ovate, truncate base, no divisions, crenate and dentate margin incisions, upper side medium green with no anthocyanin colouration

INFLORESCENCE: broad ovate in profile
CAYLX: anthocyanin colouration present on teeth only
COROLLA TUBE: hairs grey purple at tip
COROLLA LOBES: free to touching, longitudinal axis recurved, medium margin undulation, one colour on upper side, even colour pattern, upper side dark violet (RHS 83A) when newly opened, dark violet (RHS 83B) to blue violet (RHS 86B) when fully opened, lower side blue violet (RHS 86B-C), colour weakly fading with age
COROLLA EYE: very small, dark purple.

Origin & Breeding History: The variety 'Bludena' originated from an open pollinated cross made in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands in the spring of 2004. The female parent was a proprietary variety designated G0503-5, characterized by rose coloured flowers. The male parent was unknown. The new variety was selected as a single seedling in the late fall of 2004 based on criteria that included flower colour, plant habit and production characteristics.

Tests & Trials: Trials for 'Bludena' were conducted in a polyhouse during the spring of 2010, in St. Thomas, Ontario. The trial included a total of 15 plants each of the candidate and reference varieties. All plants were grown from rooted cuttings and transplanted into 11 cm pots on May 4, 2010. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants of each variety on June 4, 2010. All colour determinations were made using the 2007 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison table for 'Bludena' with reference varieties 'Lan Bule' and 'Sunmarimura'

Colour of corolla (RHS)

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Verbena: 'Bludena' (left) with reference varieties 'Lan Bule' (centre) and 'Sunmarimura' (right)

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Verbena: 'Bludena' (left) with reference varieties 'Lan Bule' (centre) and 'Sunmarimura' (right)