Plants – Shrub or vine – Hibiscus
Plant Patent
2004-01-23
2004-12-14
Bell, Kent (Department: 1661)
Plants
Shrub or vine
Hibiscus
Plant Patent
active
PP015423
ABSTRACT:
Botanical classification:
Hibiscus rosa
-
sinensis
L.
Varietal denomination: The new plant has the varietal denomination ‘HEARTBEAT’.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of
Hibiscus rosa
-
sinensis
L., which was developed in a controlled breeding program in Webster, Tex.
The genus
Hibiscus
comprises about 250 species of herbs, shrubs and trees in warm temperature and tropical regions; with leaves usually simple, mostly palmately veined, lobed or parted; flowers mostly solitary in the leaf axils but sometimes in racemes, corymbs or panicles.
Hibiscus
is included in the family Malvaceae, which comprises about 95 genera of herbs, shrubs and trees originating in tropical and temperature regions.
Hibiscus rosa
-
sinensis
is a glabrate shrub, seldom over 8 feet tall in cultivation, but treelike to 15 feet or more in tropical regions. Leaves to 6-inches long, ovate, usually serrate, mostly glossy green. Flowers solitary in upper leaf axils.
The new
Hibiscus
is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor in Webster, Tex. The objective of the program was to create new
Hibiscus
selections with improved bloom quality, color and floriferousness, plants that can be commercially produced on their own root systems, and improved plant habit with regard to vigor and postproduction longevity.
The new
Hibiscus
originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor using ‘Miss Liberty’ (not patented) as the female parent and ‘Burnished Gold’ (not patented) as the male parent. The new
Hibiscus
was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled breeding program in Webster, Tex.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The new variety was discovered in a controlled breeding program of
Hibiscus rosa
-
sinensis
and differs from its parents and other known cultivars of
Hibiscus rosa
-
sinensis
by the following characteristics in combination:
1. Upright, compact symmetrical plant habit that is suitable for container production;
2. Healthy green foliage;
3. Vigorous growth habit;
4. Large dark pink to light red flowers with perfect symmetry and depth of color;
5. Free-flowering.
Asexual reproduction of the new variety by stem cuttings, performed in Webster, Tex. and Fulshear, Tex. have confirmed that the distinctive characteristics of the new variety are stable and transmitted to succeeding generations, and the new variety reproduces true to type.
COMPARISON WITH PARENTS AND OTHER CULTIVARS
‘Heartbeat’ is distinguished from its female parent ‘Miss Liberty’ (not patented) by having a more consistent flower color throughout than the pink blend of ‘Miss Liberty’; also, ‘Heartbeat’ had a dark eye compared to the white eye of ‘Miss Liberty’. ‘Heartbeat’ is also a strong, upright, well-branched plant with more disease resistant foliage than ‘Miss Liberty’. ‘Heartbeat’ is distinguished from its male parent ‘Burnished Gold’ (not patented) by its flower color; flowers of ‘Burnished Gold’ are a mixture of gold and reddish brown with a smooth surface and no tufting.
Plants of ‘Heartbeat’ can be compared to plants of the cultivar ‘Vulcan’ (not patented). However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Webster, Tex., plants of ‘Heartbeat’ differ from plants of the cultivar ‘Vulcan’ in the following characteristics:
1. Flowers of ‘Heartbeat’ are brighter in color than flowers of ‘Vulcan’;
2. Plants of ‘Heartbeat’ are easier to propagate via vegetative cuttings than plants of the cultivar ‘Vulcan’;
Bell Kent
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Hines Nurseries Inc.
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