Botanical designation: xDoritaenopsis(DoritisxPhalaenopsis).

Cultivar denomination: ‘LADIES DAY’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR AND APPLICANT/ASSIGNEE

An European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Applicant/Assignee of the instant application, Floricultura B.V. of Heemskerk, The Netherlands on Mar. 12, 2019, application number 2019/0645. Foreign priority is not claimed to this European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application.

The Inventor and Applicant/Assignee assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor and/or Applicant/Assignee. Inventor and Applicant/Assignee claim a prior art exception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of xDoritaenopsisplant, botanically known as xDoritaenopsis(DoritisxPhalaenopsis), commonly referred to asDoritaenopsisand hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Ladies Day’.

The newDoritaenopsisplant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Nantou, Taiwan and Heemskerk, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new fast-growing and freely floweringDoritaenopsisplants with good leaf shape and large flowers with unique and attractive patterns and coloration.

The newDoritaenopsisplant originated from a cross-pollination in June, 2011 in Nantou, Taiwan of xDoritaenopsis‘Modern Valentine’, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with xDoritaenopsis‘Modern Rose’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The newDoritaenopsisplant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Heemskerk, The Netherlands in March, 2017.

Asexual reproduction of the newDoritaenopsisplant by in vitro meristem propagation in a controlled environment in Assendelft, The Netherlands since March, 2018 has shown that the unique features of this newDoritaenopsisplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the newDoritaenopsishave been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Ladies Day’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Ladies Day’ as a new and distinctDoritaenopsisplant:1. Upright plant habit.2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.3. Strong leaves.4. Strong flowering stems.5. Freely flowering habit with typically two inflorescences per plant, each inflorescence with numerous flowers.6. Large reddish purple-colored flowers with light purple-colored centers.7. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the newDoritaenopsiscan be compared to plants of the female parent, ‘Modern Valentine’. Plants of the newDoritaenopsisdiffer primarily from plants of ‘Modern Valentine’ in flower color as plants of the newDoritaenopsishave reddish purple-colored flowers with light purple-colored centers without distinct stripes or venation whereas plants of ‘Modern Valentine’ have white-colored flowers that are blushed with violet with dense and distinct stripes and venation.

Plants of the newDoritaenopsiscan be compared to plants of the male parent, ‘Modern Rose’. Plants of the newDoritaenopsisdiffer primarily from plants of ‘Modern Rose’ in flower form as flower petals of plants of the newDoritaenopsisare free to touching whereas flower petals of plants of ‘Modern Rose’ are completely free. In addition, cirrose tips of the labella (also referred to as “whiskers”) of plants of the newDoritaenopsisare white in color whereas cirrose tips of the labella of plants of ‘Modern Rose’ are purple red in color.

Plants of the newDoritaenopsiscan be compared to plants of xDoritaenopsis‘Lady Fantasy’, disclosed in a Provisional U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 62/705,005 and in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 17/340,015, filed concurrently. Plants of the newDoritaenopsisdiffer primarily from plants of ‘Lady Fantasy’ in growth habit as plants of the newDoritaenopsisare not as vigorous as plants of ‘Lady Fantasy’. In addition, plants of the newDoritaenopsishave smaller flowers than plants of ‘Lady Fantasy’.

Plants of the newDoritaenopsiscan also be compared to plants ofPhalaenopsis hybrida‘Purple Dust’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,177. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the newDoritaenopsisdiffer primarily from plants of ‘Purple Dust’ in flower color as plants of the newDoritaenopsishave reddish purple-colored flowers with light purple-colored centers whereas plants of ‘Purple Dust’ have purple/violet-colored flowers with a white-colored haze in the center. In addition, flowers of plants of the newDoritaenopsisare arranged on racemes whereas flowers of plants of ‘Purple Dust’ are arranged on panicles.

