Fisrosalm

Pelargonium

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Fistwi' (Twist)

Summary: 'Fisrosalm' has longer petioles and smaller inflorescences than 'Fistwi'. Colour of the lower side of the upper petal is purple red for 'Fisrosalm' while it is red pink for 'Fistwi'. Colour of the middle third of the pedicel is medium red for 'Fisrosalm' while it is green for 'Fistwi'.

Description:

'Fisrosalm' is a zonal type pelargonium variety which has an upright growth habit. The stem is thick, green in colour and has dense pubescence. The leaf is a type 3 shape with an open to closed base and moderate lobing. The crenate margins have shallow to medium deep incisions and weak to moderate waviness. There is dense to very dense pubescence on the upper side of the leaf blade. The colour of the leaf blade is medium green with no variegation. The weakly to moderately conspicuous leaf zone on the upper side of the leaf blade is in a normal position and green in colour. The petiole has dense to very dense pubescence.

'Fisrosalm' belongs to the red inflorescence colour group. The peduncle has dense to very dense pubescence and absent to very weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration. The flower buds are elliptic in shape. The florets are semi-double and dark pink red to purple red in colour. There are faded colour markings which are moderate in conspicuousness at the base of the upper petals and no markings on the lower and inner petals. The petals are overlapping and the width of the upper petals is narrow to medium. The petal margins are entire. The white zone at the base of the upper petal is small to medium in size. The pedicel has dense to very dense pubescence and the colour in the middle third is medium red. The colour of the sepals is green with red at the base only.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Fisrosalm' originated from a hybridization in 1997 between the female parent 'I94-1112-2', a hybrid seedling with pale, light pink, semi-double flowers, relatively light green foliage with strong zonation and moderate to vigorous growth habit, and the male parent 'K96-1059-3', a hybrid seedling with single, pink flowers with large, purple petal markings, dark green foliage with no zonation and medium size. The hybridization was made in Hillscheid, Germany and the first selection of the seedlings was conducted in Moncarapacho, Portugal in 1998. Cuttings from the selected seedling were taken back to Hillscheid, Germany for further selection and trial cultivation in 1999. Final selection was based on the combination of flower colour and vigorous growth habit.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials for 'Fisrosalm' were conducted in a greenhouse during the spring/summer of 2003 at Westcan Greenhouses, Ltd. in Langley, British Columbia. Trials consisted of 15 plants per variety grown from rooted cuttings which had been transplanted into 9 cm pots at week 13 and repotted into 20 cm pots at week 23. The pots were spaced 45cm apart, from the pot center. The plants were grown in a peat:perlite mix (60:40), fertilized with a constant feed of Plant Products 20-5-30 / Calcium and Magnesium, and shaded when light levels were above 5000 foot candles. All colour characteristics were determined using the 2001 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) colour chart and measured characteristics were based on ten plant measurements.

Comparison tables for 'Fisrosalm' with reference variety 'Fistwi'

Petiole length (cm)

Inflorescence diameter (cm)

Colour of upper side of the upper petal (RHS)

Colour of lower side of the upper petal (RHS)

Colour of upper side of the lower petal (RHS)

Colour of upper side of the inner petal (RHS)