Geranium plant named `BFP-838 Dark Red`

#The present invention comprises a new and distinct Geranium cultivar, botanically known as Pelargonium.times.hortorum Bailey, and hereinafter is referred to by the cultivar name `BFP-838 Dark Red`.

#The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program which had the objective of the creation of a new Geranium cultivar that exhibits uniform flowers, medium green foliage, a medium self-branching growth habit that requires no growth regulator, a propensity for rapid rooting, and a stable foliage coloration during shipment.

#The breeding program that resulted in the production of the new cultivar of the present invention was carried out in a controlled environment during 1992 at Arroyo Grande, Calif., U.S.A. The female parent (i.e., seed parent) was a plant designated G4111-4 (non-patented in the United States) which exhibits semi-double scarlet florets and medium green foliage. The male parent (i.e., pollen parent) was the `Fox` cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,083) which exhibits semi-double purple florets with medium green foliage. The parentage of `BFP-838 Dark Red` cultivar can be summarized as follows:

#The accompanying photograph of FIG. 1 shows a typical plant of the new `BFP-838 Dark Red` cultivar with colors generally being as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of this character. A fully-opened umbel is illustrated together with the contrasting dark green foliage. The plant was being grown in a greenhouse at West Chicago, Ill., U.S.A.

#The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe plants grown in Ball FloraPlant's greenhouses at West Chicago, Ill., U.S.A. under greenhouse conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial practice. In the following description, color references are made to the R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England. The color values were determined between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 27, 1994, under natural light conditions of 2,000 footcandles.

#Classification:

#Botanical.--Pelargonium.times.hortorum Baily, cv. `BFP-838 Dark Red`.