USO0PP22867P2

(12) United States Plant Patent (10) Patent N0.: US PP22,867 P2 Schimmelpfeng (45) Date of Patent: Jul. 24, 2012

(54) PRUNUS PLANT NAMED ‘WEIROOT 720’ (58) Field of Classi?cation Search ...... Plt./ 183 See application ?le for complete search history. (50) Latin Name: Prunus cerasus _ Varietal Denomination: Weiroot 720 (56) References Clted (75) Inventor: Hermann Schimmelpfeng, MarZling OTHER PUBLICATIONS (DE) UPOV ROM GTITM Computer Database GTI Jouve Retrieval Soft ware 2011/10 Citation for ‘Weiroot 720’.* (73) Assignee: Technische Universitat Miinchen, Mfmchen (DE) * cited by examiner

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this Primary Examiner * wenfiy C Haas patent is extended or adjusted under 35 (74) A210" "6)’; Agent) 0" Flrm * C~A~Whea1y U.S.C. 154 ( b ) b y 309 d ays . (57) ABSTRACT (21) Appl. No.: 12/658,047 A new and distinct cultivar of Prunus plant named ‘Weiroot 720’, characterized by its upright plant habit; weak vegetative (22) Filed: Feb- 1, 2010 growth and low vigor; good soil adaptation; and as a root stock, weak vegetative growth imparts uniformity, higher (51) Int- Cl- ( ) yield and larger fruit siZe to the scion plant. A01H 5/00 2006.01 (52) US. Cl...... Plt./183 3 Drawing Sheets

1 2 Botanical designation: Prunus cerasus. Plants of the new Prunus plant differ primarily from plants Cultivar denomination: ‘WEIROOT 720’. of the parent, ‘Weiroot 72’, in the following characteristics: 1. Plants of the new Prunus root better than plants of BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ‘Weiroot 72’. 2. Plants of the new Prunus have weaker vegetative growth The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar than plants of ‘Weiroot 72’. of Prunus plant, typically used as a cherry tree rootstock, 3. Due to its weaker vegetative growth, plants of the new botanically known as Prunus cerasus, and hereinafter Prunus impart higher yield and larger fruit siZe to the referred to by the name ‘Weiroot 720’. scion plant than plants of ‘Weiroot 72’. The new Prunus plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant 10 Plants of the new Prunus can be compared to plants of mutation of Prunus cerasus ‘Weiroot 72’, not patented. The new Prunus plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor Prunus ‘Weiroot 158’, not patented. In side-by-side compari from within a population of plants of ‘Weiroot 72’ in the sons conducted in Bavaria, Freising, Germany, plants of the autumn of 2001 in an outdoor nursery in Bavaria, Freising, new Prunus differed primarily from plants of ‘Weiroot 15 8 ’ in Germany. the following characteristics: Asexual reproduction of the new Prunus plant by tissue 1. Plants of the new Prunus had weaker vegetative growth culture since the autumn of 2001 in a controlled environment than plants of ‘Weiroot 158’. in Bavaria, Freising, Germany has shown that the unique 2. Due to its weaker vegetative growth, plants of the new features of this new Prunus plant are stable and reproduced 20 Prunus imparted higher yield and larger fruit siZe to the true to type in successive generations. scion plant than plants of ‘Weiroot 158’.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

Plants of the new Prunus have not been observed under all 25 The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary appearance of the new Prunus plant. These photographs show somewhat with variations in environment such as tempera the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in ture and light intensity, without, however, any variance in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs genotype. The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Weiroot 720’. botanical description which accurately describe the colors of These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Weiroot the new Prunus plant. 720’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Prunus: The photograph on the ?rst sheet comprises a side perspec 1. Upright plant habit. tive view of a typical tree of ‘Weiroot 720’ grown in an 2. Weak vegetative growth and low vigor. 35 outdoor orchard. 3. Good soil adaptation. The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up 4. As a rootstock, weak vegetative growth imparts unifor view of a typical tree of ‘Weiroot 720’ grown in an outdoor mity, higher yield and larger fruit siZe to the scion plant. orchard. US PP22,867 P2 3 4

The photograph on the third sheet is a close-up view of a About 1 cm to 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Color, typical ?owering branch of ‘Weiroot 720’. upper and lower surfaces: Close to 178A. Flower description: DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION Flower type/habitiNumerous single rotate ?owers arranged on compound panicles; ?owers face out The aforementioned photographs, following observations wardly to slightly drooping; freely ?owering habit; and measurements describe plants grown during the summer about 8 to 14 ?owers per in?orescence; ?owers not in Nederweert, The Netherlands in an outdoor nursery and persistent. under conditions and practices generally used in commercial FragranceiFaint, pleasant. Prunus production. Plants were one year old when the pho Natural ?owering season.4Continuously ?owering tographs and description were taken. Measurements and during the spring in The Netherlands. numerical values represent averages for typical plants and Flower budsiHeight: About 1 cm to 2 cm. Diameter: plant parts. The actual measurements of any individual plant About 5 mm to 10 mm. Shape: Oval to rounded. or plant parts, or any group of plants or plant parts, of the new Color: Close to 155D. Prunus plant may vary from the stated average. In the follow In?orescence heightiAbout 6 cm to 8 cm. ing description, color references are made to The Royal Hor In?orescence diameteriAbout 12 cm to 15 cm. ticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where Flower diameteriAbout 2 cm to 3 cm. general terms of ordinary dictionary signi?cance are used. Flower deptlLiAbout 2 cm to 3 cm. Botanical classi?cation: Prunus cerasus ‘Weiroot 720’. PetalsiArrangement: Five petals in a single whorl. Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Pru 20 Length: About 8 mm to 15 mm. Width: About 5 mm to nus cerasus ‘Weiroot 72’, not patented. 10 mm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Cor Propagation: date. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower sur Tj1pe.iBy cuttings. faces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color: When opening Time to initiate roots, summeriAbout eight weeks at and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 155D. When 24° C. 25 opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to Time to initiate roots, winteriAbout 16 weeks at 24° 1 5 5D. C. SepalsiArrangement: Five sepals in a single whorl. Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.iAbout Length: About 4 mm to 6 mm. Width: About 3 mm to ?ve months at 24° C. 5 mm. Shape: Ovate to deltoid. Apex: Rounded. Base: Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.iAbout 30 Cordate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower eight to ten months at 240 C. surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower Root descriptioniFibrous, woody; brown in color. surfaces: Close to 185A. Rooting habitiModerate branching; moderately PedicelsiLength: About 2 mm to 4 mm. Diameter: dense. About 1 mm to 2 mm. Angle: About 600 to 90° from Growth rateiAfter two years of growth, the root ball is 35 the in?orescence stalk. Strength: Moderately strong. about 1 meter deep and about 40 cm to 50 cm in Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144A. diameter. Reproductive organsiStamens: Quantity per ?ower: Plant description: Numerous. Filament length: About 5 mm to 8 mm. Plant and growth habitiUsed a rootstock; upright Filament color: Close to 154D. Anther length: About plant habit; plant are typically grown as a single stem; 40 2 mm to 4 mm. Anther color: Close to 6A. Pollen low vigor. amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 6D. Pistils: Plant heightiAbout 80 cm to 100 cm. Quantity per ?ower: About six to eight. Pistil length: Plant diameteriAbout 60 cm to 70 cm. About 4 mm to 7 mm. Style length: About 3 mm to 6 Stem descriptioniStrength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, mm. Style color: Close to 154A. Stigma shape: glabrous. Color: Light green. 45 Round. Stigma color: Close to 6A. Leaf descriptioniArrangement: Alternate; simple. Seeds/fruitsiSeed and fruit development have not Length: About 5 cm to 6 cm. Width: About 3 cm to 3.5 been observed on plants of the new Prunus. cm. Shape: Elliptic to ovate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Prunus have been Cordate. Margin: Crenate. Texture, upper surface: observed to tolerate temperatures from about —20° C. to Rough, glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Rough, 50 about 35° C. pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Devel It is claimed: oping and fully developed leaves, upper surface: 1. A new and distinct Prunus plant named ‘Weiroot 720’ as Close to 143A; venation, close to 144B. Developing illustrated and described. and fully developed leaves, lower surface: Close to 143B; venation, close to 144D. Petiole: Length: * * * * * U S. Patent Jul. 24, 2012 Sheet 1 of3 US PP22,867 P2 U S. Patent Jul. 24, 2012 Sheet 2 of3 US PP22,867 P2 U S. Patent Jul. 24, 2012 Sheet 3 of3 US PP22,867 P2