Geranium named Americana Violet

#The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of geranium, botanically known as Pelargonium hortorum Bailey. The new cultivar is propagated from a seedling resulting from the cross of a violet, single flower, unreleased proprietary, seed parent known as 423-6 and a pollen parent Americana Cherry Rose (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,937). Americana Cherry Rose was chosen as one parent to contribute good vigor and habit, along with a semidouble flower, to the hybrid.

#This new plant is a product of a planned breeding program intended to create new geranium cultivars with magneta violet colored semi-double flowers, green foliage, with vigorous growth and superior cutting productivity.

#The new cultivar was created in 1990 in Gilroy, Calif., and has been repeatedly asexually reproduced by cuttings in Gilroy, Calif., and Guatemala over a three year period. It has also been trailed at Okemos, Mich. It has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations; and this novelty appears to be firmly fixed.

#This new geranium plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographic drawing which shows blooms, buds, and foliage of the plant in full color, the color shown being as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

#The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of this new geranium. The data which defines these characteristics was collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Gilroy, Calif. The plant history was taken on 10 week old plants, blossomed under natural light in a greenhouse. Color readings were taken in the greenhouse on Mar. 15, 1993 under ambient light. Color references are primarily to the R.H.S. Colour Chart of the Royal Horticultural Society of London.

#Classification:

#Botanical.--Pelargonium hortorum Bailey.