Helleborus ‘COSEH 740’ Has White Flowers and Dark Green Leaves

Summary: A Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 740,’ invented by German helleborist Josef Heuger, has white flowers and dark green leaves.

Helleborus ‘COSEH 740’ image included in patent application filed Wednesday, March 31, 2010, as application number 12/798346, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO); United States Plant Patent No. US PP22,022; Date of Patent July 5, 2011: Josef Heuger, Public Domain, via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

A Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 740,’ which has white flowers and dark green leaves, is a newly cultivated variety of Lenten rose hellebore hybrid Helleborus x ericsmithii by German hellebore breeder Josef Heuger.

On March 31, 2010, Josef Heuger filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for his invention, a Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 740.’ Annette H. Para was the primary examiner. On July 5, 2011, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted plant patent PP22,022 for a Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 740.’

In February 2005, the inventor discovered and selected a single flowering plant from the progeny of a cross-pollination program that he had conducted in November 2002. The cross-pollination of two proprietary selections of unnamed, unpatented Helleborus x ericsmithii seedlings as parents took place in a controlled greenhouse environment at his family’s nursery, Heuger Gartenbaubetriebe, in Glandorf, Lower Saxony state, northwestern Germany. Propagation by divisions since March 2005 yielded successive generations with stable, truly reproduced unique characteristics.

Helleborus x ericsmithii, the hybrid to which ‘COSEH 740’ and both parents belong, is a cross of Helleborus niger, known commonly as black hellebore or Christmas rose, and Helleborus x sternii. Helleborus x ericsmithii honors British hosta and hellebore breeder Eric Smith (1917-1986). Helleborus x sternii honors British botanist and horticulturalist Sir Frederick Claude Stern (April 18, 1884-July 10, 1967).

The application’s description compares ‘COSEH 740’ with another Heuger variety, Helleborus niger x Helleborus lividus ‘COSEH 710.’ Under U.S. plant patent PP21,063, ‘COSEH 710’ is described as a freely, long flowering hellebore with dark green leaves and large, light green flowers with reddish pink overtones. The two COSEH varieties differ in flower and leaf coloring. Also, ‘COSEH 740’ is deemed less vigorous than ‘COSEH 710.’

The inventor describes ‘COSEH 740’ plants that were grown during winter in 1.5-liter (1.58-quart) containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Glandorf. Day temperatures during production ranged from 12 to 32 degrees Celsius (53.6 to 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Night temperature range was from 3 to 18 degrees C (37.4 to 64.4 degrees F).

‘COSEH 740’ forms a globular, outwardly arching, upright shape. Its growth habit is moderately vigorous.

Plant height reaches about 26 centimeters (10.23 inches). ‘COSEH 740’ spreads to a diameter of about 43.7 centimeters (17.2 inches).

Foliage forms at the plant base as basal rosettes. The circular basal arrangement consists of palmately compound leaves. Overall leaf shape is orbicular.

Each leaf consists of five leathery, smooth leaflets growing out from a common point. Leaflet shape is elliptical to ovate (Latin: ovatus, “egg-shaped”), with sharply serrated edges.

Leaves measure total lengths of about 18.2 centimeters (7.16 inches) and total widths of about 22.4 centimeters (8.81 inches). Leaflet length is about 13.9 centimeters (5.47 inches), with a width of about 4.6 centimeters (1.81 inches).

Fully developed leaves have dark green (Royal Horticultural Society color 147A) upper surfaces with dark green to green gray (RHS 147A to N189A) venation. Lower surfaces of fully developed leaves are brown green (RHS 147B) with brown green (RHS 147B) veins.

‘COSEH 740’ offers a long, natural flowering season that spans winter to early spring. Each flower, which is not persistent, lasts about 10 days.

Flowers are arranged in a cluster of terminal buds on central and lateral stems known as a cyme (Ancient Greek: κῦμα, kûma, “swollen”). 'COSEH 740’ bears about seven flowers per terminal cyme. Flowers, which face slightly outward, may nod.

Each ‘COSEH 740’ flower opens in a single whorl of about five sepals. Sepal length is about 3.3 centimeters (1.29 inches), with a width of about 2.4 centimeters (0.94 inches).

Sepal shape is broadly elliptical to broadly obovate. Sepal tip shape is rounded to emarginate, or notched. Edges and surfaces are smooth.

Upper and lower surfaces of fully opened flowers are light green to gray (RHS 145D to 157A, 157B). Coloring toward the base is light green on upper surfaces (RHS 145B, 145C) and lower surfaces (RHS 145C). With development, upper surface color is closer to light green (RHS 144B).

The inventor’s observations reveal Helleborus ‘COSEH 740’ as a good garden performer. ‘COSEH 740’ tolerates rain and wind. Temperature range tolerance is from about minus 10 to about 35 degrees Celsius (14 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit). Commercial names of ‘COSEH 740’ include Helleborus ‘Gold Collection® Joker’ and Helleborus ‘Winter’s Song.’

The 2015-2016 Heuger Helleborus catalog sells 'HGC Joker'℗ in pots sized 15 to 17 centimeters (5.9 to 6.69 inches). Its growth is described as vigorous. Heating, at 14 degrees C (57.2 degrees F), should start in mid-December. Selling is targeted to begin in mid-December.

Helleborus ‘COSEH 740’ shows well in indoor and outdoor spaces. The plant’s pleasantly arching shape frames an attractive palette of white flowers and dark green leaves and offers the enchantment of a lengthy winter to spring flowering season.

closeup of Helleborus ‘COSEH 740’ flower, image included in patent application filed Wednesday, March 31, 2010, as application number 12/798346, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO); United States Plant Patent No. US PP22,022; Date of Patent July 5, 2011: Josef Heuger, Public Domain, via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Helleborus ‘COSEH 740’ image included in patent application filed Wednesday, March 31, 2010, as application number 12/798346, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO); United States Plant Patent No. US PP22,022; Date of Patent July 5, 2011: Josef Heuger, Public Domain, via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office @ http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=PP022022;
color scans via Plant Patents Image Database, Digital Collections @ University of Maryland Libraries, @ https://digital.lib.umd.edu/plantpatents/id/PP22022

closeup of Helleborus ‘COSEH 740’ flower, image included in patent application filed Wednesday, March 31, 2010, as application number 12/798346, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO); United States Plant Patent No. US PP22,022; Date of Patent July 5, 2011: Josef Heuger, Public Domain, via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office @ http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=PP022022;
color scans via Plant Patents Image Database, Digital Collections @ University of Maryland Libraries, @ https://digital.lib.umd.edu/plantpatents/id/PP22022

For further information:

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Available @ http://files.srgc.net/archibald/writings/Raiser_unknown_Eric_Smith_a_plantsman_JCA.pdf

Avant, Tony. “Hellebores: Winter Hardy Shade Perennials for the Woodland Garden.” Plant Delights Nursery Inc. > Articles. June 2010.
Available @ http://www.plantdelights.com/Article/Hellebore-Lenten-Rose/Hellebores/Christmas-Rose/

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Available @ http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=PP022022

"'HGC Joker'℗." Heuger > Katalog Helleborus 2015-2016. Available @ http://www.heuger.com/fileadmin/lookbook/page4.html#/24

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Available @ http://www.upov.int/edocs/mdocs/upov/en/tc_edc/2007/tgp_14_draft_1_section_2_3_2.pdf

"Lenten Rose (Helleborus Gold Collection® Joker)." The National Gardening Association > Plants Database > Hellebores. Available @ http://garden.org/plants/view/546957/Lenten-Rose-Helleborus-Gold-Collection-Joker/

Marriner, Derdriu. "Helleborus 'COSEH 710' Has Light Green Flowers With Reddish Pink Flushes." Earth and Space News. Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/11/helleborus-coseh-710-has-light-green.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "A Helleborus Plant Named 'COSEH 700' Has Large Light Green Flowers." Earth and Space News. Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-helleborus-plant-named-coseh-700-has.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "A Helleborus Plant Named 'HGC Jacob' Has White to Light Green Flowers." Earth and Space News. Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-helleborus-plant-named-hgc-jacob-has.html

Rice, Graham; Elizabeth Strangman. The Gardener’s Guide to Growing Hellebores. Newton Abbot, England: David and Charles, 2005.