Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions for North America – Okra

Lists 1-27 Combined

Edited by Robert L. Jarret

USDA/ARS, Plant Genetic Resources
1109 Experiment Street
Griffin, GA 30223-1797

Annie Oakley II (PSX 1485) – Breeder and vendor: Petoseed. Characteristics: hybrid, early maturing with angular, penta-type, dark green pods, short internodes, open canopy, suited for fresh market and processing. 1990.

Cajun Delight (PS 3687) – Breeder and vendor: Petoseed. Characteristics: smooth, penta-type, dark green pods, concentrated fruit set, short internodes, lobed leaf, earlier than Clemson 80, for processing or fresh market. 1988.

Campbells Long Green – Breeder and vendor: Campbell Soup Company, Riverton, N.J. Parentage: selection from Perkins Mammoth. Characteristics: slender pod, semi-dwarf, high color. Similar: Perkins Mammoth. Adaptation: general. 1940.

Clemson Spineless (Perkins) – Breeder: South Carolina Agric. Expt. Sta., Clemson. Parentage: selection from Perkins. Characteristics: uniform, spineless, green pods. Similar: Perkins. Adaptation: Cotton Belt. All Amer. Selection Trial Records 1939.

Dardo (PS 11589) – Breeder and vendor: Seminis Vegetable Seeds-Petoseed. Parentage: F1 hybrid. Characteristics: small plant, leaves more serrated, semi round type for Brazil; early maturing, 30 days earlier than current leader Santa Cruz 47. Similar: Santa Cruz 47. Adaptation: Brazil. 2002.

Dixie Spineless (NV 2552) – Breeder and vendor: Northrup King. Parentage: pure line selection from Clemson Spineless. Characteristics: green stalk, deep cut leaf compared to Clemson Spineless, plants slightly taller and more vigorous than Clemson Spineless, without anthocyanin in plant or fruit. PVP. 1982.

Emerald – Breeder and vendor: Campbell Soup Company, Riverton, N.J. Parentage: Campbells Long Green, Clemson Spineless, Louisiana Green, Cow Horn. Characteristics: round pod, slender pod, long pod, spineless, deep green pod color, thick wall, semi-dwarf, large leaves. Similar: Evergreen. Adaptation: general. Seed World September 15 1950.

Evergreen – Breeder and vendor: Campbell Soup Company, Riverton, N.J. Parentage: Clemson Spineless, Lady Finger. Characteristics: long pod, spineless, slender pod, medium green color, tall plant. Adaptation: general. 1945.

Gold Coast – Breeder and vendor: Louisiana Agric. Expt. Sta., Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Parentage: PI 186972 from Gold Coast x Louisiana Market. Characteristics: dwarf plant, straight dark green pod, fruits over a long period, excellent for freezing and local market. Resistance: heat. Similar: Louisiana Market. Adaptation: southern United States. Arc. 57, Louisiana Agric. Expt. Sta., June 1959.

Green Velvet – Breeder: Fruit and Truck Station, Hammond, Louisiana. Vendor: Reuter Seed Co. Characteristics: smooth green, round, velvet-type pod especially adapted for canning and freezing. Adaptation: southern U.S. All American Vegetable Trials. 1940.

Jade – Breeder and vendor: Department of Horticulture and Forestry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Parentage: Clemson spineless, Emerald, Goldcoast, Louisiana 97-2-1 and PI 248999. Characteristics: semi-dwarf growth habit, similar in height to Clemson 80 but with fewer branches; pods are straight, dark green and ribbed with 6 to 9 locules; matures 10 days earlier than Clemson Spineless. Adaptation: for fresh market, commercial and home garden production. 1990.

Jefferson – Breeder and vendor: Department of Horticulture, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Parentage: Clemson Spineless, L97-2-1, Emerald, Perkins, Goldcoast and PI 248999. Characteristics: plants tall, 6 and relatively free of lateral branches, leaves medium lobed, pods dark green, 7-9 carpels, few spines, early. Adaptation: processing, fresh market. 1981.

Lee – Breeder and vendor: Department of Horticulture, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Parentage: Gulfcoast, PI 248999, Emerald and Clemson Spineless. Characteristics: plants are semi-dwarf and generally free of lateral branches, leaves are slightly lobed, pods are 5 carpellate, uniform, straight, bright green and spineless. 1978.

Little Lucy (PS 38895) – Breeder: Jim Waltrip. Vendor: Seminis Vegetable Seeds-Petoseed. Parentage: F1 hybrid. Characteristics: dwarf red okra; ornamental, very attractive plant; 1998 AAS winner. Resistance: none noted. Adaptation: home garden; North America.

Louisiana Market – Breeder: Fruit and Truck Sta., Hammond, Louisiana. Vendor: Reuter Seed Co. Parentage: PI accession from Mexico x New Orleans Market. Characteristics: heavy yields of thick, smooth green pods with thick walls; arrangements of petaloids and foliage tend to make pods easily accessible. Adaptation: regions of the southern United States. All American Vegetable Trials. 1950.

North and South (B 56960) – Breeder and vendor: Burpee. Characteristics: early yielding hybrid which tolerates cool temperatures, pods are dark green with little fiber, fresh market and home garden production. 1995.

Parbhani Kranti (PBNO 57) – Breeder: Central Seeds Organization, Mahatma Phule Agricultural University, Rahuri-413 722, India. Parentage: Pusa Sawani x A. manihot and subsequent backcrosses to Pusa Sawani with selection for resistance to yellow vein mosaic virus. Characteristics: plants tall, single stemmed, dark green foliage, fruit are dark green, smooth, slender. Resistance: yellow vein mosaic. 1986.

Perkins Spineless – Breeder and vendor: Campbell Soup Company, Riverton, N.J. Parentage: Campbell Long Green x Clemson Spineless. Characteristics: spineless pod, deep-green pod color, deep cut leaves, semi-dwarf, earliness. Similar: Campbells Long Green. Adaptation: general. Seed World. May 18, 1945.

Prelude (NV 2555) – Breeder and vendor: Northrup King and Co. Characteristics: open pollinated, fluted pod matures in about 48 days; for fresh market and processing; pod is medium dark green, seven to eight carpels, 3.5″ in length. Similar: Clemson Spineless. Adaptation: all okra-producing areas. PVP. 1984.

White Lightning – Breeder and vendor: H.G. Hastings Company, Atlanta. Parentage: White Velvet. Characteristics: long, slender, white pods, tender. Similar: White Velvet. Adaptation: southern U.S. Hastings Catalog, 1939.