Sutera plant named ‘Maxi Mauve Blue’

#Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Sutera halimifolia cultivar Maxi Mauve Blue.

#The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Sutera plant, botanically known as Sutera halimifolia, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Maxi Mauve Blue’.

#The new Sutera is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in George, South Africa. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Suteras with large and attractive flowers.

#The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which more accurately describe the colors of the new Sutera.

#The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Maxi Mauve Blue’ grown in a 15-cm container.

#The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of the typical flowers and leaves of ‘Maxi Mauve Blue’.

#The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif., in an outdoor nursery under full sunlight conditions during the spring with day temperatures ranging from 18 to 35° C. and night temperatures ranging from 7 to 18° C. After planting rooted cuttings, plants were grown for about four weeks in 15-cm containers. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Botanical classification: Sutera halimifolia cultivar Maxi Mauve Blue. Parentage: Female parent.—Unnamed selection of Sutera halimifolia, not patented. Male parent.—Unnamed selection of Sutera halimifolia, not patented. Propagation: Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings. Time to initiate roots.—About three weeks. Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About four weeks. Root description.—Fine; white in color. Rooting habit.—Freely branching. Plant description: Form.—Outwardly spreading plant habit. Freely and continuously branching with about 15 lateral branches and numerous secondary lateral branches per plant. Vigorous growth habit. Plant height.—About 18 cm. Plant diameter.—About 50 cm. Lateral branches.—Length: About 28 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Internode length: About 3 cm. Texture: Minute pubescence; rough. Color: 146A. Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite; simple. Length: About 2.2 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Clasping; sessile. Margin: Serrulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A; venation, 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B; venation, 147B. Flower description: Flower type and habit.—Solitary axillary flowers; salverform; slender corolla tubes flare abruptly into five rounded lobes. Flowers persistent. Freely flowering; typically about 30 flower buds and open flowers per lateral branch. Flowers face mostly upward or outward. Flowers persistent. Natural flowering season.—Plants typically flower from spring until fall; flowering continuous during this period. Flower longevity on the plant.—About five days. Frangrance.—None detected. Flower size.—Diameter: About 1.5 cm. Depth: About 1 cm. Flower buds.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm. Shape: Obovate. Color: 157A. Corolla.—Quantity/arrangement: five fused petals; slender corolla tube flaring abruptly into five rounded lobes. Petal lobe length from throat: About 6 mm. Petal lobe width: About 4 mm. Petal lobe shape: Roughly spatulate. Petal lobe apex: Rounded. Petal lobe margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When opening, upper surface: 85C. When opening, lower surface: 85D. Fully opened, upper surface; 86B; color becoming closer to 85A with development. Fully opened, lower surface: 86D. Flower throat (inside): 24A. Flower tube (outside): 86D. Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals fused at base; star-shaped calyx. Length: About 5 mm. Width: Less than 1 mm. Shape: Narrow, linear. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent, coarse; glandular. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A. Peduncles.—Length: About 1 to 1.2 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Angle: About 45° from the stem. Strength: Moderately strong; slender. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A. Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: 160A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 14A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 1.2 cm. Style length: About 7 mm. Style color: 1D. Stigma shape: Elongated; curved. Stigma color: 2A. Ovary color: 144A. Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Sutera have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Sutera. Garden performance: Plants of the new Sutera have been observed to have good garden performance. Plants of the new Sutera tolerate temperatures from −4 to 38° C. and have good tolerance to wind and rain.