Species

Gomphrena - Spring 2004

Flower Color, Plot Development Over Time, Data and Comments

Data and pictures will be added as time allows.

Vinca

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Vinca

Botany

Family:	Amaranthaceae
Scientific names:	Gomphrena globosa L.[The Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN)].
Common names:	Bachelor's-button, common globe-amaranth, and globe-amaranth (GRIN); also known by the genus name, gomphrena.
Native habitat:	South Asia. Naturalized and widely cultivated (GRIN).
	View maps related to habitat and other topics from this link to the National Geographic MapMachine: .
Pests
Common plant arthropods (insects/other)/other:	Reported arthropod symptoms in literature: Gomphrena is free of most pest problems; aphids, mites and thips have been noted in some reports (Greenhouse IPM Notes – Rutgers University). We have observed leaftier larva in small numbers. The difference between similar pests: How to Distinguish Oak LEAFTIERS From LEAFROLLERS.
	Arthropod symptoms observed in this trial:
Common plant diseases/other:	Reported disease symptoms in literature: Foliar lesions similar to Alternaria have been observed but not confirmed in our trials; Colletotrichum dematium, dieback is listed as pathogen on Gomphrena globosa (CAB International, Crop Protection Compedium, 2003).
	Diseases symptoms observed in this trial:
Commercial control:	Greenhouse.	Field/shade house.
Arthropod information:	Pests identified on crops. Search the Arthropod/Host Plant Database.		Florida pest facts and images. Featured Creatures
Disease information:	Plant Disease Facts (Pennsylvania State University) Ornamental Plant Disease Fact Sheets		The American Phytopathological Society Search Common Names of Plant Diseases
More Links and Information
Performance evaluations:	Trial reports and other publications.
More resources:	Additional information.

Honors:

Best-of-class (BC). We select the best performer in each class, based on the "overall performance rating". This rating may not be high, if the class does not perform well (indicating a possible need for improvement in the class). The rating may be significantly different from one or more members of the class. If two or more members of a class received the same highest overall performance rating, we used another rating (such as overall foliage/flower rating or flower average rating) to determine BC. If only one cultivar was entered in a class, it automatically becomes uncontested BC. BC is evaluated in future trials against the performance of new entries in the same class. Refer to a report in "Articles, Papers & Reports" for detailed information. In addition to BC, other "honors" received for these cultivars may be added to BC at a later date, time permitting. Seed companies may forward these honors (awards) to Rick Kelly.

Rating System:

The rating is a 1 to 7 scale: 7- all foliage and flowers free from defects; 4- average foliage and flower condition, minimal plant defects or pest damage to tissue, but still acceptable; 1- foliage and/or flowers with severe defects and/or severely infested with pests and damage unacceptable, making plant undesirable. Plant death due to soilborne pests may be factored into the overall performance rating, if it is a significant problem. Refer to a report in "Articles, Papers & Reports" for details. If listed, ratings with an "a" are the best in a class. If cultivars share the same letters, those ratings are considered to be similar to each other. If there are no letters, there is only one cultivar in a class or all the members of a class have similar ratings.

American Takii

Ball Seed

Bodger Seeds

Floranova Plant Breeders

Flower Fields - Goldsmith Seeds

The Flower Fields

Grimes Seeds & Plants

Kieft Seeds Holland

E. Benary Seed of America




Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) feasting on nectar from gomphrena flowers. Click "Zebra Swallowtail" to read about this featured creature; also, click on the picture to view more pictures of this insect species. Click on the gator to view another swallowtail species feeding on wallflower nectar:. Click on the monarch butterfly picture below to visit a site dedicated to Florida butterflies (Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services - Division of Plant Industry):

Scroll down the page or click on the color of choice to view individual cultivars within a color class:

Tall Purple Class

Tall Purple/White Class

Winter

Tall purple class

Picture date:	1 May (week 12¹)	14 May (week 13)	31 May (week 16)
'Purple Gomp'	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field
Cultivar No: 57

Grimes Seeds & Plants
Picture date:

Seed Sowing Date	Flower Diameter²	Days to First Flower³	Overall Foliage/Flower Rating⁴	Overall Pest Rating⁵	Overall Performance Rating⁶
11 Feb.	1.8 (0.7)	49	5.5	6.7	6.1

Honors: Best-of-class for the color class, uncontested.

Comments: New for spring 2004. Performance was similar to the best-class, 'Bicolor Rose'. ‘Bicolor Rose’ (best-of-class, spring 2003) and 'Purple Gomp' (new for spring 2004) both had a similarly outstanding adjusted overall performance, but ‘Bicolor Rose’ had a higher rating value. Both remain uncontested best-of-class for their color class. See 'Bicolor Rose' for more comments on performance.

Details of performance for this cultivar will be posted on the web in "Articles, Papers & Reports" at the completion of this trial. These details will include ratings over the entire season and pest problems.

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Tall purple/white class

Picture date:	1 May (week 12)	14 May (week 13)	31 May (week 16)
'Bicolor Rose'	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field
Cultivar No: 59

American Takii
Picture date:

Seed Sowing Date	Flower Diameter²	Days to First Flower³	Overall Foliage/Flower Rating⁴	Overall Pest Rating⁵	Overall Performance Rating⁶
11 Feb.	2.0 (0.8)	49	5.6	6.8	6.2

Honors: Best-of-class for the color class, uncontested; best-of-class in this special comparison between the species classes.

Comments: Best-of-class established in spring 2003. ‘Bicolor Rose’ (best-of-class, spring 2003) and 'Purple Gomp' (new for spring 2004) both had a similarly outstanding adjusted overall performance in this special comparison of the species. Both cultivars are uncontested best-of-class for their color class. ‘Bicolor Rose’ was a slightly taller plant; flowering was initiated at the same time for both cultivars. Both cultivars had excellent flower production and quality in early June, while ‘Bicolor Rose’ had denser foliage than ‘Purple Gomp’. Both cultivars were showing some signs of chlorosis in June. In spring 2003, ‘Bicolor Rose’ showed lodging that was believed to be due to lack of plant support on raised beds from a staggered instead of a linear arrangement of plants; neither cultivar lodged in this trial. Pest damage was minimal. See pictures of insects or disease on this crop.


Spring 2003, 15 May: No lodging.	Spring 2003, 30 May: lodging; compare with 31 May, above: 'Purple Gomp' and 'Bicolor Rose'.

ROK

1. The number of weeks from seed sowing to the date the plant was photographed. Photographs were taken in a field sprayed on demand as needed, after scouting for pests, and a field that is not sprayed at all.

2. Measured in centimeters and inches [cm (inches)].

3. Average number of days from sowing to unfurling of the first flower in the plots. Flowering for alyssum was completed in the flat prior to planting in the field. Values with an "a" are considered significantly greater than those with a "b", "c", etc., and those without a letter are not considered to be significantly different.

4. The average of the combined foliage and flower data in the sprayed field as an expression of cultivar quality. Values with an "a" are considered significantly greater than those with a "b", "c", etc., and those without a letter are not considered to be significantly different.

5. The average of the combined foliage and flower data in the unsprayed field as an expression of arthropod and disease symptoms. Values with an "a" are considered significantly greater than those with a "b", "c", etc., and those without a letter are not considered to be significantly different.

6. The average of the combined overall foliage/flower rating and overall pest rating. If plant death from a soilborne pathogen resulted, this was factored into the rating. Values with an "a" are considered significantly greater than those with a "b", "c", etc., and those without a letter are not considered to be significantly different. See Articles, Papers & Reports for further explanation in the reports.

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