Streptocarpus Ulysses. Hybridizer - Mikkelsens (Ashtabula OH US). A Streptocarpus plant named Ulysses, characterized by its distinct deep violet blue flower color, highly floriferous and continuous flowering habits, ease of propagation and early flowering, and its ability to flower both under low light and high temperature conditions. Asexual reproduction of Ulysses by leaf cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Streptocarpus are stabilized and are reproduced true to type in successive propagations.
The following characteristics distinguish Ulysses from both its parent varieties and other cultivated Streptocarpus of this type known and used in the floriculture industry. Of the cultivars used for comparison purposes, Minerva, Ariadne, and Achilles are disclosed in pending applications of applicant.
1. Ulysses has a distinct deep violet purple flower with only the upper part of the throat having a light lavender purple color. Thor has a light lavender purple flower with white streaking coming out of the throat onto the lower petals, and Minerva has a dark blue flower color with cream streaking from the throat.
2. Flower size of Ulysses is larger than both Minerva and Thor, and similar in size to Ariadne and Achilles. Overlap of lobes of petals is greater in Ulysses than any of the other four cultivars.
3. Ulysses has a calyx that is purple in the bud stage and has a heavy purple cast on mature flowers, while Achilles has a purple calyx in the bud stage turning green on open flowers. Thor, Ariadne and Minerva have a green calyx both on buds and flowers.
4. The filament of Ulysses has a purple area about two-thirds of the way up, with Achilles having a red area in this same location. Thor and Minerva are white with a purple cast over the entire filament, while Ariadne has a pinkish cast.
5. Ulysses has a green with purple cast ovary, the style is white with purple hairs, and there is a heavy purple cast to the stigma; all the other cultivars mentioned have purple ovaries, and white styles and stigmas except Achilles, which has a light reddish purple cast to stigma.
6. Ulysses is similar to Achilles in plant height and spread. Ariadne is slightly more compact, and Minerva and Thor still more compact.
7. Ulysses is very floriferous due to the large number of flower stalks produced per leaf axil and the average of four blooms per flower stalk. Ulysses is similar in flowering habit to Achilles, with Ariadne, Thor and Minerva having more compact flower stalks.
8. Leaves of Ulysses are similar to Achilles, with Thor, Ariadne and Minerva having narrower leaves slightly shorter in length.
9. Ulysses propagates very well from a leaf cutting, producing numerous plantlets in 8 to 10 weeks depending on the time of year. Ulysses is early to flower when compared to older cultivars; from a well rooted plant from a 72 cell pack a well developed flowering plant is obtained in 6 to 10 weeks in a 10 cm pot.
10. Ulysses has shown the ability to flower both under the lower light conditions of winter (December to February) and under high temperatures of summer (July to September) without going out of bloom under greenhouse conditions.
