Carnation named Lontakia

#This carnation variety originated as a seedling at San Remo, Italy, resulting from the crossing of plants selected from our collection of carnations maintained for breeding purposes at San Remo. Our object in making this crossing was to develop new carnations having blooms of good quality and excellent color on strong plants. This plant was selected from the seedlings resulting from the said crossing because of its very extraordinary flower coloration and its apparently vigorous and strong growth habit. Propagation of the selected plant was carried on under our direction at San Remo by cuttings and in vitro propagation through several successive generations, which clearly demonstrated that the novel characteristics of its blooming and growth habits appear to be firmly fixed and would remain true from generation to generation.

#Accordingly, our new carnation variety is now being propagated for commercial purposes by means of cuttings, as well as by in vitro propagation procedures, at Establissements Barberet et Blanc, Laboratoire de Physiologie Vegetale, 83250 La Londe-Les Maures, France.

#Our new carnation variety is illustrated by the accompanying photographic drawing, which shows several blooming stems with flowers and buds in several stages of development, the color rendition being as nearly true to that herein specified as is reasonably possible to obtain by professional photographic procedures.

#The following is a detailed description of our new carnation variety based upon observations made in the Spring of 1988 of plants grown in greenhouse, as well as outside, at San Remo, Italy, the color designations stated herein being according to the R.H.S. Colour Chart published by the Royal Horticultural Society of London, England.

#Origin: Seedling.

#Parentage: