Begonia plant

#The present invention relates to a new and distinctive cultivar of begonia plant, botanically known as Begonia elatior, and was discovered by me as a mutation of the cultivar Ballerina, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,868, issued Apr. 20, 1976 to Margarete Rohde-Rieger. The new cultivar was observed in a group of flowering plants of the parent cultivar Ballerina. Asexual reproduction by stem and leaf cuttings has reproduced the unique features of the cultivar through successive propagations.

#The following characteristics in combination distinguish the new begonia from both its parent and other begonias commercially known and used in the floriculture industry:

#1. Bright yellow double flower up to 6 cm. in diameter when mature. The parent cultivar Ballerina is apricot-orange in color.

#The accompanying colored photographic drawing taken in Nurtingen, Germany illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar taken as a face view of the plant. The photograph shows the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in a colored reproduction of this type.

#The following is a detailed description of my new begonia variety based on plants produced under commercial practices in Nurtingen, Germany. Color references are made to the Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

#Parentage: The new cultivar is a mutation of the cultivar Ballerina.

#Propagation: Propagation is very rapid by leaf cuttings, being 2 weeks faster than Schwabenland, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,320, granted Mar. 13, 1973 to Otto Rieger, deceased. Initiation and development of 3-6 adventitious buds is very consistant at all times of the year and especially good in summer months when the Schwabenland types are inconsistent. Stem cuttings may also be used for propagation as there is considerable self-branching.