Plants – Herbaceous ornamental foliage plant – Philodendron
Plant Patent
2001-12-11
2003-08-26
Campell, Bruce R. (Department: 1661)
Plants
Herbaceous ornamental foliage plant
Philodendron
Plant Patent
active
PP014116
ABSTRACT:
Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Philodendron hybrid-cultivar ‘Rojo Congo’.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of philodendron plant, botanically known as Philodendron hybrid, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Rojo Congo’.
The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Altha, Fla. The objective of the program was to develop new vigorous, self-heading, not vining and self-supporting Philodendron cultivars useful for various container sizes, with attractive plant form and colors, with large, thick leaves and petioles shorter than the male parent.
The new Philodendron was discovered and selected by the Inventor in 1996 as a seedling within the progeny of a cross made in 1995 in a controlled environment in Altha, Fla. The female parent was Philodendron cultivar ‘Imperial Red’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,337 (species not named in the disclosure). The male parent was an unidentified selection of the
Philodendron tatei
Krause spp.
melanochlorum
(Bunting) Bunting (not patented).
Asexual propagation of ‘Rojo Congo’ since 1998 by means of tissue culture in Altha, Fla. has established that the unique characteristics of this new cultivar are in fact stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The new Philodendron cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and/or horticultural practices such as temperature, light intensity, day length, fertilization, irrigation, propagation procedures etc., without any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and in combination distinguish ‘Rojo Congo’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Philodendron:
1. Large size plant, appropriate for 15-cm and larger containers;
2. self-heading, not vining, self-supporting, mostly upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and open growth habit;
3. very vigorous growth;
4. large, thick, leathery, dark green mature leaf blades;
5. thick, very dark purple-brown mature petioles;
6. brown-maroon-green young leaves;
7. long, red-purple, relatively long-lasting petiole sheaths;
8. numerous aerial roots with distinct red zone.
Plants of ‘Rojo Congo’ are distinguished from plants of the female parent, commercial Philodendron cultivar ‘Imperial Red’ disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,337 by the following characteristics:
1. Plants of ‘Rojo Congo’ are larger, have more outwardly spreading and open growth habit than plants of ‘Imperial Red’.
2. Plants of ‘Rojo Congo’ are more vigorous than plants of ‘Imperial Red’.
3. Leaf blades of ‘Rojo Congo’ are thicker, larger and more ovate than leaf blades of ‘Imperial Red’.
4. Petioles of ‘Rojo Congo’ are longer and thicker than petioles of ‘Imperial Red’.
5. Mature leaf blades of ‘Rojo Congo’ are darker green with greater contrast between midrib and surrounding tissue than mature leaf blades of ‘Imperial Red’.
6. Mature petioles of ‘Rojo Congo’ are dark purple-brown, whereas mature petioles of ‘Imperial Red’ are brownish-green.
7. Leaf petiole sheaths of ‘Rojo Congo’ are longer and darker red-purple than leaf petiole sheaths of ‘Imperial Red’.
8. Plants of ‘Rojo Congo’ have more and thicker air roots than plants of ‘Imperial Red’.
Plants of ‘Rojo Congo’ are distinguished from plants of the male parent, unidentified selection of the
Philodendron tatei
spp.
melanochlorum
by its smaller size; more compact and fuller growth habit; much more vigorous growth; smaller and darker green leaf blades; shorter, dark purple-brown petioles (as opposed to green petioles of the parent plant); and longer-lasting, red-purple petiole sheaths (as oppose to yellow-green petiole sheath of the parent plant).
The new cultivar can be compared to the commercial Philodendron cultivar ‘Congo’ is disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,724.
Plants of the new Philodendron cultivar differ from plants of Philodendron ‘Congo’ in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of ‘Rojo Congo’ are narrower, have more upright, less spreading and slightly less open growth habit than plants of ‘Congo’.
2. Plants of ‘Rojo Congo’ are more vigorous than plants of ‘Congo’.
3. Leaf blades of ‘Rojo Congo’ are shorter, with lower length to width ratio, shorter tip, more asymmetric base than leaf blades of ‘Congo’.
4. Mature leaf blades of ‘Rojo Congo’ are darker green with less contrasting midrib than leaf blades of ‘Congo’ and have red-purple margin, whereas leaf blades of ‘Congo’ and have light green margin.
5. Petioles of ‘Rojo Congo’ are shorter than petioles of ‘Congo’.
6. Mature petioles of ‘Rojo Congo’ are dark purple-brown, whereas mature petioles of ‘Congo’ are green.
7. Unfolding leaves of ‘Rojo Congo’ have brown-maroon coloration on the blades and red-purple coloration on petioles, whereas unfolding leaves of ‘Congo’ are completely green.
8. Petiole sheaths of ‘Rojo Congo’ are longer-lasting and are red-purple, whereas petiole sheaths of ‘Congo’ are predominantly yellow-green.
9. Sheaths covering inflorescences of ‘Rojo Congo’ are red-purple, whereas sheaths covering inflorescences of ‘Congo’ are predominantly yellow-green.
10. Plants of ‘Rojo Congo’ have more aerial roots than plants of ‘Congo’.
Campell Bruce R.
McCormick Susan B.
Oglesby Plants International, Inc.
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