Plants – Rose – Climber
Plant Patent
1999-05-13
2001-10-16
Campell, Bruce R. (Department: 1661)
Plants
Rose
Climber
Plant Patent
active
PP012144
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
My present invention is that of a new and distinct cultivar of Philodendron plant which is the result of hybridization of Philodendron plants of unknown complex hybrid parentage.
Since the 1960's, an extensive Philodendron hybridizing program has been carried out in the vicinity of Orlando, Fla. Originally conceived and conducted by my late husband, Robert H. McColley, the hybridization efforts were continued under my auspices for several years by Dr. Howard N. Miller. Following Dr. Miller's retirement several years ago, the hybridization program was largely discontinued. However, I continued to raise thousands of plants from numerous crosses previously made, with particular interest in self-heading Philodendron plants having distinctive foliage color. Among a batch of seedlings of unknown parentage I identified and isolated a single plant which was strikingly different from all known Philodendron varieties. The single plant was a self-heading, rather than vining, variety, with rich red coloration in its new leaves. I have asexually reproduced the new variety from crown offshoots at nursery facilities located in the vicinity of Orlando, Fla. The new variety retains its distinctive characteristics through successive generations of asexual reproduction by vegetative cuttings of crown offshoots. Because the plant is compact, self-heading and has little stem, it is not commercially practical to propagate the plant from vegetative cuttings. The plant can be mass produced by tissue culture propagation techniques (organogenesis, using meristematic explants), and has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
My new variety can be readily distinguished from all other varieties of Philodendron by the combination of its self-heading growth habit, the shape of the leaves and the unique rich red coloration of new leaves.
My new variety has been grown under various conditions at several locations in the vicinity of Orlando, Fla., including Zellwood, Fla. and Apopka, Fla.. It maintains its form and color under a light range of 1,000-1,800 foot-candles and a temperature range of 60° F.-90° F., plus or minus 5° F. for brief periods. Occasional short term exposure to higher temperatures has no substantial adverse effect. Prolonged exposure to extreme high temperatures adversely affects growth. Prolonged exposure to intense sunlight is damaging to the plant, and exposure to very high light intensities may affect foliage coloration. The plant grows well under moderate indoor conditions and is suitable for interior plantscaping.
Because of its unique combinations of color, leaf shape and growth habit, Philodendron ‘McColley's Finale’ is distinctive from all other Philodendrons. While it shares some characteristics of certain other hybrids, it is substantially different. It shares characteristics with patented Philodendron plant varieties ‘Prince of Orange’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.: 6,797, Miller, May 16, 1989); ‘Black Cardinal’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.: 5,355, McColley, Nov. 20, 1984); and ‘Royal King’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.: 3,831, McColley, Mar. 2, 1976). Comparison with these three varieties highlights the distinctive combination of characteristics to be found in Philodendron ‘McColley's Finale’.
‘Prince of Orange’: This is a self-heading variety in which the new leaves are bright, glossy orange maturing to yellow-green. The leaves have an ovate shape with the tip acute and the base hastate. In comparison, my new variety has bright chestnut red color in the new leaves, which mature to a medium green with dark chestnut red shading over the surface. The leaves are similar in shape, but with the leaf base on my new variety being more cordate. To the casual observer, my new variety gives the impression of being a red color version of ‘Prince of Orange’. There is undoubtedly a substantial degree of shared parentage, but the two are quite distinctive from one another.
‘Black Cardinal’: This is a self-heading variety in which the new leaves are brick red and mature to black red. The leaves have an elliptic shape with a distinctly undulate surface, cuspidate leaf tip and sagittate base. In comparison, my new variety is wholly different except for also being self-heading and there being slight similarity in coloration of the newest leaves. In ‘Black Cardinal’, the brick red color of the newest leaves quickly darkens to near black as the leaf matures, and the leaves remain dark. In my new variety, the red color of the newest leaves is much brighter, darkens to a deep chestnut red as the leaf matures, and then fades to a medium green leaf color burnished with dark chestnut red.
‘Royal King’: This is a vining variety in which the leaves are shades of yellow-green and the leaves have a narrowly ovate shape with the tip acute and the base cordate. In comparison, my new variety is entirely different except for some similarity in the shape of the leaves. In the early stages of growth of ‘Royal King’, before the vining habit becomes obvious, the casual observer may have a first impression that my new variety is a deeply colored version of ‘Royal King’, largely due to similarity of deportment of the leaves in immature plants of ‘Royal King’. This impression does not withstand close inspection of the plants and does not exist in comparing mature plants.
Philodendron ‘McColley's Finale’ is highly colorful. The new leaves are a glossy, rich chestnut red (Munsell Limit Color Cascade 36-13), and as the leaves mature, they initially darken to a deeper shade of chestnut red (36-14, 36-15), and with increasing maturity the leaf color fades to reveal medium green (22-14) leaves stained with dark red. The dark chestnut red petioles add to the overall colorful impact of the plant. The plant is a compact rosette with thick petioles arising in a whorl from a crown or short stalk. At maturity, the shape of the leaves is ovate. Pinnate venation with large flattened midribs are notable, as are the thick, leathery, glossy, colorful leaves. The width of the leaf is approximately two-thirds the length.
The petioles are erect to semi-erect, approximately 7-8 inches long, and are black red tinged with purple (40-16) in color, remaining darkly colored at maturity. The internodes are one-half inch or less. Cataphylls are dark chestnut red (36-15, 36-16) in color.
Since my new variety is a true rosette and essentially without a stem, it is compact. Growth is uniform and of good substance. Under good growing conditions, medium light intensity, moderate to high humidity and moderate temperatures, growth is fast, but without the plant becoming leggy. With high humidity and warm temperature (
85° F. or higher), one leaf per week is produced, resulting in a plant
18 inches-24 inches in diameter within 6 months of planting. The rich chestnut red color is maintained in rapid growth periods.
The typical commercial-sized plant for a five-inch pot is approximately eleven inches-twelve inches tall (measured from soil surface), with the rosette having a diameter of approximately twenty-two inches. The typical commercial-sized plant for a ten-inch pot is approximately fifteen inches-sixteen inches tall (measured from soil surface), with the rosette having a diameter of 36 inches.
The growth of the plant indoors is good. It tolerates air-conditioning, infrequent watering, and a lack of fertilization. If provided with adequate light, it retains its form and color indoors. The plant performs best with regular care, but over-watering is detrimental.
This new variety is resistant to bacterial leaf rot and fungal leaf spot. In the same growing facilities, it is hardier than Philodendron ‘Prince of Orange’.
REFERENCES:
patent: P.P. 3831 (1976-03-01), McColley
patent: P.P. 5355 (1984-11-01), McColley
patent: P.P. 6797 (1989-05-01), Miller
Baker Wendy Couchoud
Campell Bruce R.
Laubscher, Jr. Lawrence E.
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