Species

Pentas - Spring 2004

Flower Color, Plot Development Over Time, Data and Comments

Data and pictures will be added as time allows.

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Botany

Family:	Rubiaceae (madder family).
Scientific names:	Pentas lanceolata (Forssk.) Deflers [The Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN)].
Common names:	Egyptian star-cluster, star- cluster (GRIN). Also, simply referred to as pentas.
Native habitat:	Eastern tropical Africa to southern Arabia (University of Conneticut Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Conservatory). Introduced to North America (USDA). Read more about this crop by clicking on the gator: .
	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: Fungus gnats (in flats), aphids, mites, mealybugs, lepidopterous larvae and whiteflies have been reported on this crop (PanAmerican Seed). The tersa sphinx moth (Xylophanes tersa) was found on foliage in Naples, Florida. European earwig. (Featured Creatures. University of Florida.).
	Arthropod symptoms observed in this trial: Insect foliage feeding by a beetle (unidentified) on all cultivars was observed.
Common plant diseases/other:	Reported disease symptoms in literature: Cercospora sp., leaf spot; Corynesopora sp., leaf spot; Oidium sp., powder mildew; Phyllosticta sp., leaf spot; Pythium sp., root rot; Rhizoctonia solani, root and stem rot.;, Pythium, Botrytis blight. (Index of Plant Diseases in Florida, 1984 revision.).
	Diseases symptoms observed in this trial: Fusarium oxysporum , crown rot, was isolated from plants in this trial and in the spring 2003 trial; each trial was in a different, isolated location on the farm. Leafspots on flowers (gray mold-like) and necrotic blotches on foliage (possibly associated with the Fusarium) and/or iron toxicity-like symptoms, though pH was not outside the acceptable range.
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

xxx

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

Dwarf pink class	Dwarf purple class
Dwarf red class	Dwarf rose class
Dwarf white class
Crop Note

Crop note: This crop was affected by crown rot, as in the spring 2003 trial. Only one rating in mid June was possible for surviving plants, despite soil fumigation, followed by multiple soil drenches, while other crops flourished.

Dwarf pink class

Picture date:	1 May (week 12¹)	14 May (week 14)	31 May (week 17)	24 June (week 20)
'Graffiti Pink'	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Plot A Plot B Sprayed Field Plot A Plot B Unsprayed Field	Plot C Sprayed Field No Picture available. Unsprayed Field
Cultivar No: 42

E. Benary Seed of America
Picture date:

Seed Sowing Date	Flower Diameter²	Days to First Flower³	Overall Foliage/Flower Rating⁴	Overall Pest Rating⁵	Overall Performance Rating⁶
4 Feb.	1.2	132	3.0	2.3	2.6

Honors: Best-of-class, uncontested.

Comments: New for spring 2004. Seventy three percent of all the plants from this class died in the sprayed field. The surviving plants were underdeveloped, resulting in poor ratings. Foliage and flower pest symptoms were minor.

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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Dwarf purple class

Picture date:	1 May (week 12)	14 May (week 14)	31 May (week 17)	24 June (week 20)
'Graffiti Violet'	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Plot A Plot B Unsprayed Field	Plot B Sprayed Field No Picture available. Unsprayed Field
Cultivar No: 44

E. Benary Seed of America
Picture date:

Seed Sowing Date	Flower Diameter²	Days to First Flower³	Overall Foliage/Flower Rating⁴	Overall Pest Rating⁵	Overall Performance Rating⁶
4 Feb.	1.8	86	5.0	2.8	3.9

Honors: Best-of-class, uncontested.

Comments: New for spring 2004. Foliage had poor development, while flowering was outstanding for the surviving plants. Foliage and flower pest symptoms were minor, while plant deaths were excessive. Gray mold-like spots were more serious on this cultivar’s flowers than all others.

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Dwarf red class

Picture date:	1 May (week 12)	14 May (week 14)	31 May (week 17)	24 June (week 20)
'Graffiti Bright Red'	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Plot B Plot C Sprayed Field Plot A Plot B Unsprayed Field	No Picture available. Sprayed Field No Picture available. Unsprayed Field
Cultivar No: 45

E. Benary Seed of America
Picture date:

Seed Sowing Date	Flower Diameter²	Days to First Flower³	Overall Foliage/Flower Rating⁴	Overall Pest Rating⁵	Overall Performance Rating⁶
4 Feb.	1.2	92	5.0	3.2	4.1

Honors: Best-of-class, uncontested.

Comments: New for spring 2004. Foliage and flower ratings for surviving plants were fair. Foliage and flower pest symptoms were minor, while plant deaths were excessive.

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Dwarf rose class

Picture date:	1 May (week 12)	14 May (week 14)	31 May (week 17)	24 June (week 20)
'Butterfly Deep Rose'	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Plot B Plot C Sprayed Field Plot A Plot B Unsprayed Field	Plot C Sprayed Field No Picture available. Unsprayed Field
Cultivar No: 158

Seed Co.
Picture date:

Seed Sowing Date	Flower Diameter²	Days to First Flower³	Overall Foliage/Flower Rating⁴	Overall Pest Rating⁵	Overall Performance Rating⁶
4 Feb.	1.7	94	5.7	3.5	4.6

Honors: Best-of-class, uncontested.

Comments: Best-of-class established in spring 2003. Performance was similar to ‘Graffitti Bright Red’. Foliage and flower pest symptoms were minor, while plant deaths were excessive.

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Dwarf white class

Picture date:	1 May (week 12)	14 May (week 14)	31 May (week 17)	24 June (week 20)
'Butterfly White'	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Plot B Plot C Sprayed Field Plot A Plot B Unsprayed Field	Plot A Plot C Sprayed Field No Picture available. Unsprayed Field
Cultivar No: 22

Ball Seed
Picture date:

Seed Sowing Date	Flower Diameter²	Days to First Flower³	Overall Foliage/Flower Rating⁴	Overall Pest Rating⁵	Overall Performance Rating⁶
4 Feb.	1.7	99	5.5 a	4.7	5.1 a

Honors: Best-of-class.

Comments: New for spring 2004.

Dwarf white class

Picture date:	1 May (week 12)	14 May (week 14)	31 May (week 17)	24 June (week 20)
'Graffiti White'	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Plot B Plot C Sprayed Field Plot A Plot B Unsprayed Field	No Picture available. Sprayed Field No Picture available. Unsprayed Field
Cultivar No: 43
No picture.
E. Benary Seed of America
Picture date:

Seed Sowing Date	Flower Diameter²	Days to First Flower³	Overall Foliage/Flower Rating⁴	Overall Pest Rating⁵	Overall Performance Rating⁶
4 Feb.	1.3	122	2.0 b	2.4	2.2 b

Honors:

Comments: New for spring 2004.

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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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