Petunia plant named ‘Sunbui Mirehaha’

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNBUI MIREHAHA’.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunbui Mirehaha’.

The new Petunia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely flowering Petunia plants with a semi-trailing plant habit and numerous large attractive flowers.

The new Petunia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventors in March, 2011 in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan of a proprietary selection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code name LNW, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code name PR-46, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in June, 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since June, 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

Plants of the new Petunia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunbui Mirehaha’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunbui Mirehaha’ as a new and distinct Petunia plant:

1. Semi-trailing plant habit. 2. Vigorous growth habit. 3. Freely branching habit. 4. Early and freely flowering habit. 5. Long flowering period. 6. Large bright red purple-colored flowers. 7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in plant habit as plants of the new Petunia are not as compact as plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in flower size as plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia can also be compared to plants of the Petunia×hybrida ‘USTUNI6001’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,730. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Petunia and ‘USTUNI6001’ differed primarily in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Petunia were slightly larger than plants of ‘USTUNI6001’. 2. Plants of the new Petunia had thicker stems than plants of ‘USTUNI6001’. 3. Plants of the new Petunia had larger leaves than plants of ‘USTUNI6001’. 4. Plants of the new Petunia were more freely flowering than plants of ‘USTUNI6001’. 5. Plants of the new Petunia had larger flowers than plants of ‘USTUNI6001’. 6. Petal margins of plants of the new Petunia were more undulate than petal margins of plants of ‘USTUNI6001’. 7. Plants of the new Petunia and ‘USTUNI6001’ differed in flower color as plants of ‘USTUNI6001’ had bright pink-colored flowers. 8. Plants of the new Petunia had longer peduncles than plants of ‘USTUNI6001’.

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Petunia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunbui Mirehaha’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers of ‘Sunbui Mirehaha’.

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the summer in 15-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Petunia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night temperatures averaged 13° C. Plants were four months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida ‘Sunbui Mirehaha’. Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent .—Proprietary selection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code name LNW, not patented. Male, or pollen, parent .—Proprietary selection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code name PR-46, not patented.

Propagation:

Type .—By terminal cuttings. Time to initiate roots, summer and winter .—About one week at temperatures about 15° C. to 20° C. Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and winter .—About three weeks at temperatures about 15° C. to 20° C. Root description .—Fibrous; white in color. Rooting habit .—Freely branching; dense.

Plant description:

Plant form and growth habit .—Semi-trailing plant habit; freely branching habit with numerous lateral branches developing per plant; pinching enhances lateral branch development; vigorous growth habit. Plant height .—About 26 cm. Plant diameter .—About 91.6 cm.

Lateral branch description:

Length .—About 62 cm. Diameter .—About 2.3 mm. Internode length .—About 3 cm. Strength .—Strong, flexible. Aspect .—Upright to outwardly. Texture .—Densely pubescent; viscid. Color .—Close to 144A.

Leaf description:

Arrangement .—Alternate, simple. Length .—About 3.8 cm. Width .—About 1.9 cm. Shape .—Ovate. Apex .—Broadly acute. Base .—Obtuse. Margin .—Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces .—Pubescent. Venation pattern .—Pinnate; reticulate. Color .—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B; venation, close to 144B. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137D; venation, close to 144C. Petioles .—Length: About 6.4 mm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144C.

Flower description:

Flower arrangement and habit .—Single salverform flowers arising from upper leaf axils; freely flowering habit with usually about 192 flowers developing per plant; flowers face upright to outwardly. Fragrance .—None detected. Natural flowering season .—Early flowering habit, plants of the new Petunia initiate and develop flowers about two to three weeks after planting; long flowering period, flowering commences naturally during the spring and plants flower continuously throughout the summer until late autumn in Japan. Flower longevity .—Individual flowers last about seven to ten days on the plant; flowers not persistent. Flower diameter .—Relatively large, about 6 cm. Flower length ( depth ).—About 4.2 cm. Throat diameter .—About 1.14 cm. Tube diameter, base .—About 3.3 mm. Tube length .—About 3.14 cm. Flower buds .—Length: About 4 cm. Diameter: About 9.8 mm. Shape: Cylindrical. Color: Close to 86C. Corolla .—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat: About 2.7 cm. Petal width: About 2.8 cm. Petal shape: Spatulate. Petal apex: Mucronate. Petal margin: Entire with shallow lobes; undulate. Petal texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Petal texture, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Petal, when opening, upper surface: Close to 67B; venation, close to 59B. Petal, when opening, lower surface: Close to N66D; venation, close to 144C. Petal, fully opened, upper surface: Close to 67C; venation, close to 60B; color does not change with development. Petal, fully opened, lower surface: Close to 73B; venation, close to 144D. Throat: Close to 68A; venation, close to N92A. Tube: Close to 73B; venation, close to 146A. Calyx .—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five sepals in a single whorl and fused at the base. Sepal length: About 1.33 cm. Sepal width: About 3.6 mm. Sepal shape: Narrowly elliptic. Sepal apex: Obtuse. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color: Developing and fully developed sepals, upper surface: Close to 137B. Developing and fully developed sepals, lower surface: Close to 137C. Peduncles .—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to outwardly. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Close to 144B. Reproductive organs .—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five. Stamen length: About 2.2 cm to 2.68 cm. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther size: About 1.9 mm by 2.3 mm. Anther color: Close to 85B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 85A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 2.7 cm. Style color: Close to 144D. Stigma shape: Transversely ellipsoidal. Stigma color: Close to 86C. Ovary color: Close to 144B. Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit development have not been observed on plants of the new Petunia.

Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C. Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia plants.