Narrative
The 'Pelican' strawberry (Fragaria xananassa) Duch.), resulting from an interregional effort to breed anthracnose-resistant strawberry cultivars for the southeastern United States (Galletta et al., 1993; Smith et al., 1996), was introduced for propagation to nurseries in 1996 by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), Louisiana State Univ. Agricultural Center, and North Carolina State Univ. 'Pelican' was selected for its high plant vigor; attractive, symmetrical, and large fruit with good color and flavor; resistance of the fruit, petioles, stolons, and plant crown to anthracnose (Colletotrichum acutatum Simmonds and C. fragariae Brooks); and adaptation to the raised-bed plasticulture system used in the southeastern United States. 'Pelican' is also resistant to at least five races of the red -stele root-rot disease (incited by Phytophthora fragariae Hickman var. fragariae). 'Pelican' produced outstanding yields in southern Mississippi compared with 'Sweet Charlie' and was as productive and produced fruit as large as 'Chandler' in North Carolina. Yields in Louisiana were high, but the fruit was subject to skin damage by rain or overhead irrigation. In Maryland, 'Pelican' yielded as well as 'Chandler' on raid\sed beds and made a productive matted row.\, although fruit from matted rows was rated less attractive than that from raised beds. 'Pelican' seems best adapted to the Southern Coastal Plain and lower Piedmont in USDA hardiness zones 8 and 9, especially for fall planting and winter to early spring fruit production. 'Pelican' is suggested for trial in the southeastern United States for raised-bed culture and in adjacent regions for matted-row culture as a high-quality, early to early-midseason, shipping and local-market cultivar with resistance to anthracnose fruit rol, stolon infection. and crown rot. 'Pelican' was named after the state bird of Louisiana. 'Pelican' plants are large, vigorous, and erect. Leaves are large, cup upward at the margins, are medium-green on top and light green beneath. Leaflets are broad ovate; serrations are rounded and tipped; and veins are prominent. Bracts on the petioles are long and whorled, and petioles are flat on the upper surface with very light pubescence. Flower petals are white, number five to six, and are broad and overlapping. Sepals are in two whorls, narrow to medium and pointed or bifurcate. Stamens are in two whorls and anthers are small to medium and yellow. Sepals and pedicels are downy pubescent. Receptacles are raised and conic. Peduncles branch at their midpoint. Fruit are very large, medium-firm and are very long and wedge shaped, with a glossy orange-red exterior (Fig. 1). The calyx is slightly reflexed and achenes are yellow and flush with the fruit surface. Interior flesh is pink and melting (uniform and smooth), juicy with balanced sweet and acid flavor, aromatic, and may have a hollow core. The skin may bruise or crack under some conditions.
Gene Galletta made the cross in 1987. Seedlings screened by Barbara Smith. Seedlings were grown in Miss. and LA , tested as LAMSUS 87-17-17 selected in 1989; released in 1996, named in 1998.
Cultivar Synonym= LAMUS 87-17-17
WHY NAMED= early to mid season, shipping, resistant to anthracnose
NAMED FOR= the pelican, the state bird of louisiana