Poinsettia ‘Ice Punch’ Has Cherry Red and Pink Bicolored Flower Bracts

Summary: Poinsettia ‘Ice Punch,’ a Euphorbia pulcherrima cultivar by German plant breeder Marita von Danwitz, has cherry red and pink bicolored flower bracts.

Poinsettia ‘Ice Punch,’ Dec. 19, 2015: Raellyn & Melissa (kyducks), CC BY ND 2.0, via Flickr

Poinsettia ‘Ice Punch,’ a Euphorbia pulcherrima cultivar patented in 2008 by German plant breeder Marita von Danwitz of Tönisvorst, central western Germany, has cherry red and pink bicolored flower bracts and dark green leaves.

On May 1, 2006, Marita von Danwitz filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for her plant invention, a poinsettia plant named ‘Ice Punch.’ Primary examiner was Kent L. Bell. Georgia Helmer served as assistant examiner. On Nov. 25, 2008, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted patent number PP19,504 for poinsettia ‘Ice Punch.’

Poinsettia ‘Ice Punch’ occurs as a natural branch mutation of ‘Eckabish,’ a poinsettia cultivar patented Feb. 1, 2000, as plant patent number 11,200, by Franz Fruehwirth (1932-Dec. 28, 2015), chief hybridizer at Ecke Ranch in Encinitas, southern California. ‘Ice Punch’ poinsettia’s inventor, Maritz von Danwitz, based her selection of ‘Ice Punch’ on the new poinsettia’s uniquely colored flower bracts.

Propagation by terminal vegetative cuttings occurred in a controlled environment at Gärtnerei Andreas von Danwitz in Tönisvort, a town in Viersen district in central west Germany’s state of North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen). The unique features of poinsettia ‘Ice Punch’ persevered stably and truly over successive, vegetatively propagated generations.

The new poinsettia’s inventor details color, flowering, habit and longevity as the unique characteristics of ‘Ice Punch.’ Side-by-side comparisons of ‘Ice Punch’ with ‘Eckabish,’ conducted in Encinitas, southern California, revealed a primary difference in flower bract coloration, with ‘Eckabish’ presenting a solid cherry red color. Additional side-by-side comparisons at Encinitas with another Ecke poinsettia cultivar, ‘490 Marble,’ patented by Franz Fruehwirth July 12, 1994, as plant patent number 8,833, also asserted flower bract coloration as a primary difference, with ‘490 Marble’ displaying light pink and pale yellow coloring.

The descriptions of poinsettia ‘Ice Punch’ in the inventor’s patent application concern single plants, aged about 14 weeks, in the spring. Plants were grown in 16.5-centimeter (6.496-inch) pots, located inside a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Encinitas. Temperatures during production averaged 24 degrees Celsius (75.2 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day and 19 degrees C (66.2 degrees F) during the night.

‘Ice Punch’ poinsettia presents a freely branching, mounded plant habit that is compact, uniform and upright. Its growth habit is moderately vigorous. Height at 14 weeks is about 25 centimeters (9.8 inches), with a spread, or diameter, of about 35 centimeters (13.779 inches).

The new cultivar’s freely branching habit responds to pinching by developing about 10 lateral branches. Branch length averages about 19 centimeters (7.48 inches), with diameters of about 4 millimeters (0.157 inches). Branches are strong, with a glabrous, or non-downy and smooth, texture.

Ovate to oaklike leaves appear in alternate arrangements. Length is about 9.7 centimeters (3.8 inches), and width measures about 9 centimeters (3.54 inches). Rugose, or wrinkled, surfaces and smooth margins with two lobes per lateral edge typify ‘Ice Punch’ poinsettia’s foliage.

Upper surfaces of fully developed leaves are darker than dark green (The Royal Horticultural Society color chart number 147A). Venation color is brown green (RHS 147C).

Lower surfaces of fully developed leaves are grayer than brown green (RHS 147B). Venation color is brown green (RHS 147D).

Positioned above the foliage, inflorescences are persistent and lack fragrance. Borne as one per lateral branch, ‘Ice Punch’ poinsettia’s inflorescence features a compound corymb (Ancient Greek: κόρυμβος, kórumbos, “cluster of fruit" ) of cuplike floral heads known as cyathia (Ancient Greek: κύαθος. kyathos, "drinking cup").

Each corymb bears about eight to 10 cyathia. A cyathia cluster has a diameter of about 2.2 centimeters (0.866 inches).  Mature cyathia are light green (RHS 145A to 145B).

Each cyathium usually has one or two nectaries, or nectar-secreting glands. Nectary size measures about 2 millimeters (0.0787 inches) by 5 millimeters (0.1968 inches). Nectary color is yellow orange (RHS 17A).

top and side views of poinsettia ‘Ice Punch;’ images included in patent application filed May 1, 2006, with United States Patent and Trademark Office: Marita von Danwitz, Public Domain, via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Flower bracts subtend, or underlie, the cyathia. Bracts number about 18 per inflorescence. Largest bracts have lengths of about 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) and widths of about 9.2 centimeters (3.6 inches).

Mostly elliptical in shape, bracts have entire, or smooth, margins with irregular lobing. The slightly rugose, or wrinkled, bracts have glabrous, or smooth and non-downy, upper and lower surfaces.

Upper surfaces of fully developed bracts are described as close to light red pink (RHS 39C) in the irregular central area and slightly redder than red (RHS 47A) toward the margins. Lower surfaces of fully developed bracts are red pink (RHS 48C) in the irregular central area and red (RHS 46B) toward the margins.

‘Ice Punch’ poinsettia’s vein arrangement is pinnate (Latin: pinna, “feather”). One main vein, with smaller branching veins, extends from the leaf’s base to its tip. Venation is colored similarly to that of the flower bract.

Poinsettia ‘Ice Punch’ has a natural, midseason flowering that straddles autumn and winter. In Encinitas, the natural flowering season’s maturity date occurs in early December. Under interior conditions, ‘Ice Punch’ poinsettia plants exhibit an excellent post-production longevity of about four weeks. Temperature tolerances range from about 15.5 degrees C (59.9 degrees F) to about 30 degrees C (86 degrees F).

The takeaway for ‘Ice Punch’ poinsettia is its unique vividness. Poinsettia ‘Ice Punch’ has cherry red and pink bicolored flower bracts that vividly top the Euphorbia pulcherrima cultivar’s pleasingly mounded shape and cheerily adorn potted and in-ground niches.

Poinsettia 'Ice Punch' has cherry red and pink bicolored floral bracts: Myriad Gardens @myriadgardens via Twitter Dec. 3, 2015

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Poinsettia ‘Ice Punch,’ Dec. 19, 2015: Raellyn & Melissa (kyducks), CC BY ND 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/teamtiredfeet/23739925252/

top and side views of poinsettia ‘Ice Punch;’ images included in patent application filed May 1, 2006, with United States Patent and Trademark Office: Marita von Danwitz, Public Domain, via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office @ http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=PP019504

Poinsettia 'Ice Punch' has cherry red and pink bicolored floral bracts: Myriad Gardens @myriadgardens via Twitter Dec. 3, 2015, @ https://twitter.com/myriadgardens/status/672411090173558784

For further information:

Andreas von Danwitz @AvDanwitz. “Saison beginn für Poinsettia – Midi verantwortungsvoll kultiviert Fair Regional Keine Insektizide Torfred. Substrat Energiesparend.” Twitter. Oct. 28, 2016.
Available @ https://twitter.com/AvDanwitz/status/791968266205790208

Armstrong, Wayne P. “6. Cyathium: Inflorescence of the Euphorbia Family.” Wayne’s Word > Botany 115 Terminology > Inflorescence Terminology Part 2.
Available @ http://waynesword.palomar.edu/terminf2.htm

“Eckabish.” Canadian Food Inspection Agency > Plants > Plant Breeders’ Rights > Crop Reports. Last modified Oct. 24, 2016.
Available @ http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/pbrpov/cropreport/poi/app00001721e.shtml

“Ice Punch.” Canadian Food Inspection Agency > Plants > Plant Breeders’ Rights > Crop Reports. Last modified Oct. 24, 2016.
Available @ http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/pbrpov/cropreport/poi/app00006400e.shtml?pedisable=true

International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants. “Document TGP/14: Glossary of Technical, Botanical and Statistical Terms Used in UPOV Documents. Section 2: Botanical Terms: Subsection 3: Color: (2): Color Names for the RHS Colour Chart.” UPOV (Union Internationale Pour la Protection des Obtentions Végétales). Dec. 9, 2006.
Available @ http://www.upov.int/edocs/mdocs/upov/en/tc_edc/2007/tgp_14_draft_1_section_2_3_2.pdf

Kraft, Dan. “Encinitas Poinsettia Breeder to Be Recognized.” San Diego Union-Tribune. Sept. 30. 1999.
Available @ http://www.franzfruehwirth.com/halloffame.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "American Green Poinsettia Gardens for America's Toothed Spurge." Earth and Space News. Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/12/american-green-poinsettia-gardens-for.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "American Wild Poinsettia Gardens for America's Other Poinsettia." Earth and Space News. Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/12/american-wild-poinsettia-gardens-for.html

Myriad Gardens @myriadgardens. “This #poinsettia variety is called Ice Punch!” Twitter. Dec. 3, 2015.
Available @ https://twitter.com/myriadgardens/status/672411090173558784

“Poinsettia Plant Named ‘Eckabish.’ United States Patent and Trademark Office > Program in Word (PIW). Feb. 1, 2000.
Available @ http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=PP011200

“Poinsettia Plant Named ‘Ice Punch.’” United States Patent and Trademark Office > Program in Word (PIW). Nov. 25, 2008.
Available @ http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=PP019504