BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present Invention relates to a
new and distinct cultivar of Hosta plant, botanically known as Hosta
rectifolia, and hereinafter
referred to by the cultivar name
'White Triumphator'.
The new Hosta is a product of a
plAnned breeding program conducted
by the Inventor in a controlled
environment in Noordwijk, The
Netherlands. The new Hosta was
discovered and selected by the
Inventor in a seed bed of sown seed
from various crosses of unidentified Hosta
rectifolia selections. The new Hosta was selected in 1993 as an
individual seedling on the basis of
its straight scapes, the length of
its scapes and unique white-colored
flowers.
Asexual reproduction of the new
cultivar by divisions harvested in
Noordwijk, The Netherlands, has
shown that the unique features of
this new Hosta are stable and
reproduced true to type in
successive generations.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Plants of the cultivar White Triumphatorhave not been observed
under all possible environmental and
cultural conditions. The phenotype
may vary somewhat with variations in
environment such as temperature,
light intensity, daylength,
irrigation amount and frequency,
and/or fertilizer rate without,
however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been
repeatedly observed and are
determined to be the unique
characteristics of 'White Triumphator'. These characteristics
in combination distinguish 'White Triumphator' as a new and distinct
cultivar:
1. Medium green leaf color.
2. Relatively compact growth habit.
3. White-colored flowers that are
positioned above the foliage on
strong, straight and erect scapes.
Plants of the new Hosta can be
compared to plants of the variegated Hosta rectifolia cultivar Tall Boy,
not patented. Compared to plants of
the cultivar Tall Boy, plants of the
new Hosta have straight scapes, are
more proportional, and have
white-colored flowers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS
The accompanying colored photographs
illustrate the overall appearance of
the new Hosta, 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 more
accurately describe the actual
colors of the new Hosta.
The photograph on the first sheet
comprises a side perspective view of
a typical flowering plant of 'White Triumphator' grown in a container.
The photograph on the second sheet
is a close-up view of typical
flowers of 'White Triumphator'.
DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
In the following description, color
references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of
ordinary dictionary significance are
used. Plants used for the following
description were about 40 weeks old
and grown in containers under field
conditions which closely approximate
commercial production conditions
during the spring and summer in
Noordwijk, The Netherlands.
Botanical Classification:
Hosta rectifolia cultivar White Triumphator.
Parentage: Cross-pollination of
unidentified selections of
Hosta rectifolia, not patented.
Propagation:
Type cutting: By divisions.
Rooting time: Divisions harvested in
the spring develop roots in about 40
days at 15 to 20° C.
Root description: Fleshy.
Plant description:
Form: Perennial flowering plant;
initially upright becoming outwardly
arching as leaves develop; inverted
triangle. Moderately clumping:
Appropriate for 17-cm containers.
Crop time: After rooting, about 40
weeks are required to produce
finished flowering plants in 17-cm
containers.
Plant height: From soil level to top
of leaf plane: About 40 cm (15.7 in.) . From
soil level to top of flowering
stems: About 100 cm (39 in.) .
Plant diameter: About 60 cm (24 in.).
Vigor: Moderately vigorous.
Foliage description:
Leaves basal,
simple, generally symmetrical, and
long-persisting. Length: About 18 cm (7 in.) . Width: About 11 cm (4.3 in.) . Shape:
Ovate. Apex: Acute to abruptly
acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin:
Entire. Texture: Glabrous, dull to
slightly glossy. Petiole: Length:
About 22 cm (8.7 in.) . Diameter: About 1.2 cm (0.5 in.) .
Color: Young foliage and petiole,
upper surface: 137A to 146A. Young
foliage and petiole, lower surface:
191A. Mature foliage and petiole,
upper surface: 144A to 146B. Mature
foliage and petiole, lower surface:
191A to 191B.
Flower description:
Appearance: Single campanulate to
funnelform flowers with fused
perianth arranged on one-sided
racemes. Flowering stems arise from
leaf axils. Typically two flowering
stems per plant. Flowers persistent.
Quantity of
Flowers: About 20
flowers per raceme.
Natural flowering season: Summer in
the Netherlands; flowering
continuous.
Fragrance: Very faint, sweet,
pleasant.
Flower longevity: About 4 to 7 days.
Flower size: Length: About 4.5 cm (1.8 in.) .
Diameter: About 5 cm (2 in.) .
Flower buds (about 3 days before
opening): Length: About 3 cm (1.2 in.) .
Diameter: About 8 mm. Shape:
Oblanceolate. Color: Base, 155C;
apex, 155A.
Perianth: Arrangement: Three
interior and three exterior tepals;
fused. Tepal length: About 5 cm (2 in.) .
Tepal width: About 1.2 cm (0.5 in.) . Tepal
shape: Elongated; apex, acute;
margin, entire. Tepal texture:
Smooth; glabrous. Tepal color: When
opening, upper and lower surfaces:
Close to 155D. Fully opened, upper
and lower surfaces: Close to 155D;
with development, 155C.
Floral bracts: Arrangement: At
pedicel base. Length: About 2.0 cm (0.8 in.) .
Width: About 8 mm. Shape:
Lanceolate. Color: 145C to 145D.
Pedicel: Length: About 1.5 cm (0.6 in.) .
Angle: Erect to about 50 to 60° from
vertical; bent with weight of
flower. Strength: Moderate to
strong. Color: 155A to 155C.
Scape: Length: About 60 cm (24 in.). Aspect:
Mostly upright; straight. Texture:
Smooth; glaucous. Color: 138B to
139C.
Reproductive organs:
Stamens:
Quantity: Six; dorsifixed. Anther
size: About 3 by 1 mm. Anther color:
15B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pistils:
Quantity: One. Pistil length: About
4.0 cm (1.6 in.) . Style length: About 3.8 cm (3.1 in.) .
Style color: 150D; base, 145B.
Stigma color: 160C. Ovary color:
145A.
Seed description: Length: About 4
mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.
Color:
Almost black.
Disease resistance:
Plants of the
new Hosta have not been noted to be
resistant to pathogens common to
Hosta.
According to the U.S. government, a new Hosta cultivar is an "invention". Therefore, it is
eligible to receive a patent, just like Edison's electric light
bulb. In the case of hostas and other plants, a patent means
that for the next 20 years, nobody may propagate and sell this
cultivar without providing compensation to the owner of the
patent. This is a different process than registering a Hosta with 
