U.S. patent number PP24,079 [Application Number 13/385,989] was granted by the patent office on 2013-12-10 for hibiscus plant named `midnight marvel`.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Walters Gardens Inc. The grantee listed for this patent is Kevin A. Hurd. Invention is credited to Kevin A. Hurd.
United States Patent |
PP24,079 |
Hurd |
December 10, 2013 |
Hibiscus plant named `Midnight Marvel`
Abstract
A new and distinct cultivar of winter-hardy herbaceous Hibiscus
hybrid plant named `Midnight Marvel` comprising a naturally-short,
compact, heavy-branching habit. The foliage has strong dark purple
overtones, and the plant flowers with a multitude of deep
scarlet-red flowers with a darker red eye over at least 12 weeks
during the summer until frost.
Inventors: |
Hurd; Kevin A. (Chicago,
IL) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hurd; Kevin A. |
Chicago |
IL |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Walters Gardens Inc (Zeeland,
MI)
|
Family
ID: |
49159009 |
Appl.
No.: |
13/385,989 |
Filed: |
March 19, 2012 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20130247260 P1 |
Sep 19, 2013 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
PLT/257 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01H
5/02 (20130101); A01H 6/608 (20180501) |
Current International
Class: |
A01H
5/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;PLT/257 |
Primary Examiner: McCormick Ewoldt; Susan
Claims
I claim:
1. A new cultivar of hardy herbaceous Hibiscus hybrid plant named
`Midnight Marvel` as herein illustrated and described, comprising a
naturally-short, compact, heavy-branching rounded habit; also
dark-green leaves with dark purple overlays and with a multitude of
large, deep scarlet-red, slightly-cupped flowers over at least 12
weeks from early summer until frost suitable for potted plant
culture, landscaping as a specimen or en masse, and especially
suited for patios and confined spaces because of the compact habit.
Description
Botanical classification: Hibiscus hybrid (L.).
Variety denomination: `Midnight Marvel`.
BACKGROUND AND ORIGIN OF THE PLANT
The present invention relates to the new and distinct hardy,
herbaceous, hibiscus plant, Hibiscus `Midnight Marvel` hybridized
by Kevin A. Hurd in the summer of 2008 at a nursery in Zeeland,
Mich. The new plant, originally labeled # 07-314-10, is from a
cross between Hibiscus `Summer Storm` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,443
(female pod parent) times the proprietary hybrid # 06-87-02 (not
patented) (male pollen parent). Both parents have a complex mixture
of species in them, most likely including the species: moscheutos,
coccineus and laevis (formerly militaris). Hibiscus `Midnight
Marvel` was first asexually propagated in 2009 by both stem
cuttings and sterile tissue culture at the same nursery in Zeeland,
Mich. The resultant plants have been found to be stable and true to
type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT
Hibiscus `Midnight Marvel` differs from its parents as well as all
other hardy hibiscus known to the applicant in many traits. The
foliage color of `Midnight Marvel` is a dark green with an overlay
of grayed purple and the foliage shape of `Midnight Marvel` is
variable, depending on the time of year and position on the stem.
Most leaves are palmatifid or palmately lobed to cleft with some
either young leaves or those on immature plants being palmately
ovate. The flowers of `Midnight Marvel` are nearly flat-faced with
deep scarlet-red petals. The most similar hibiscus to `Midnight
Marvel` known to the applicant are Hibiscus `Cranberry Crush` U.S.
Plant Pat. No. 21,984, Hibiscus `Summer Storm` U.S. Plant Pat. No.
20,443, Hibiscus `Fireball` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,631 and Hibiscus
`Kopper King` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,793. Compared to `Cranberry
Crush` the new plant has a flatter flower with deeper scarlet-red
flower color, not as lustrous petals, and the foliage is much
darker purple. Compared to `Summer Storm` and `Kopper King` the new
plant has a much more intense scarlet-red flower, is shorter in
habit and finer in leaf than `Kopper King`. Compared to `Fireball`
the new plant is shorter, more compact and less splaying in habit
with much darker purple foliage. Compared to the male parent, #
06-87-02, the new plant is shorter, more compact and better
branched with a richer deep scarlet-red flower.
Hibiscus `Midnight Marvel` is a unique hardy herbaceous hibiscus
with the following combined traits: 1. Hardy perennial, naturally
short, rounded habit with dense branching. 2. Many slightly cupped
flowers over a prolonged season having deep scarlet-red overlapping
petals and a darker red lustrous eye. 3. Variably shaped foliage of
dark green with strong dark purple overlay.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the overall appearance
of the plant, including the unique traits. The colors are as
accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient
light spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of
minor variation in color.
FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the flower with grayed-purple overlay on
dark green foliage.
FIG. 2 shows the plant short, compact, rounded habit of a three
year-old plant.
DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
The following descriptions and color references are based on the
2001 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except
where common dictionary terms are used. The new plant, Hibiscus
`Midnight Marvel`, has not been observed under all possible
environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different
environmental conditions, such as temperature, light, fertility,
moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the
genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are of
one year-old plants in the loamy-sand open field trials of a
nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental fertilizer and water as
needed. The plants are natural habit and were not treated with
plant growth regulators, nor were they pinched at any time in the
growth year. Parentage: Hibiscus `Summer Storm` U.S. Plant Pat. No.
20,443 (female pod parent) times the proprietary hybrid # 06-87-02
(not patented) (male pollen parent). Propagation: Method.--Stem
cuttings and sterile plant tissue culture division. Time to
initiate roots from tissue culture.--About two weeks. Rooting
habit.--Normal, branching, developing thick to about 3.0 cm
diameter, fleshy; root color creamy white between RHS 159A and
lighter than RHS 159 D depending on soil type. Crop time.--Under
normal summer growing conditions 12 to 16 weeks to flower in a
four-liter container from cutting. Plant vigor is very good. Plant
description: Plant shape and habit.--Hardy herbaceous perennial
with 2 to 4 thick upright and heavily branched main stems producing
a rounded mound about 85.0 cm tall and 80.0 cm wide; 8 to 15
primary branches per main stem protruding at 60.degree. to
75.degree. angle from horizontal, secondary branches on the lower
one third to half of the primary branches; lateral branch.
Size.--Between 8.0 cm and 40 cm long (shorter at the upper nodes)
and average 1.0 cm diameter at the base of branch. Stem.--Rounded,
glabrous, glaucous; average 85.0 cm tall and 3.0 cm diameter at
base; stem color between RHS 184A and RHS 184B. Plant
size.--Unpinched plant with stems 85 cm tall; overall plant about
80 cm wide about 30 cm above the base (widest point).
Internode.--About 27 nodes per stem, average internode length about
3.0 cm of unpinched plant, varied between 2.0 to 6.0 cm widest in
middle portion of stem. Foliage description: Alternate; dentate;
glabrous; heterophyllous; palmatifid, tri-lobed to cleft; with
lobes open to less than 90 degrees, with some immature leaves
oblong ovate with ovate to cordate bases and acute apexes; texture
above lustrous in distal leaves and dull in proximal leaves,
texture below dull; palmately veined; leaf blade size average 14 cm
long and 12 cm wide, becoming smaller in distal portion of stem.
Foliage color.--Adaxial side nearest bright green between RHS 141B
and RHS 141C with overlay of between RHS N187B and RHS N187A in
light; abaxial side between RHS 138A and RHS 138B with tinting of
nearest RHS 187A. Veins.--Palmate; primary and secondary adaxial
veins becoming reddish nearest RHS 185B; primary abaxial veins
between RHS 187C near base and RHS 185B distally, secondary veins
nearest RHS N186C. Petioles.--Average size 6.5 cm long and 3.0 mm
wide; mostly cylindrical with proximal petioles more plano-convex;
glaucous, glabrous. Petiole color.--Above between RHS 187C and RHS
187D in more light and where protected from light nearest RHS 139C;
below between RHS 187A to RHS 185B in higher light and nearest RHS
182C where protected from light. Flower description: Buds.--One day
prior to opening about 5.5 cm long and 3.5 cm in diameter, acute
apex and bluntly rounded base, unopened petals wrinkled at veins,
exposed petal color nearest RHS 187C; prior to showing petals: buds
are about 3.5 cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter, ovoid with acute
apex, carinate at the fusion seam of the sepals; color between RHS
141C and RHS 141D with veining, sepal carina and tinting between
RHS N186C and RHS 187D. Epicalyx.--Entire, smooth, glabrous, linear
with sharply acute apex and attenuate base, curved around sepals;
11 to 12 per flower; about 2.5 cm long tapering to base of about
3.0 mm wide; adaxial and abaxial color between RHS 141C and RHS
143C except for the apical 4.0 to 6.0 mm between RHS 187C and RHS
187C. Sepals.--Five, proximal half connate forming campanulate
star-shaped calyx; acute apex; margin entire, edentate; about 4.0
cm long and 5.0 cm wide; abaxial color between RHS 141D and RHS
143C adaxial color between RHS 141D and RHS 143D; margins and five
primary sepal veins tinted toward apex nearest between RHS 187C and
RHS N186D. Flowers.--Solitary, 16 to 22 per main stem without
pinching; slightly cupped petals opening to about 160 degrees;
upward and outwardly facing; average 20.0 cm across and 4.5 cm
deep, larger in early part of flowering season; persist for a one
to two days; effective for at least 12 weeks beginning mid July and
lasting into October; no detectable fragrance. Petals.--Five;
glabrous, slightly lustrous, adnate to the androecium, imbricate to
about 110% overlapping at widest part (petals completely
overlapping the next petal and 10% of the petal in the position two
over); shape: rounded; margins: entire, edentate; apex: rounded;
base: short claw-like; size: average 12 cm long and 13 cm wide at
widest portion (larger in earlier part of flowering season); center
dark eye about 3.5 cm diameter. Petal color.--Adaxial between RHS
60B and RHS 187C with a darker eye of nearest RHS 46A; abaxial
color between RHS 60B and RHS 187C; petal veins ribbed on back and
impressed on front producing a slightly ruffled appearance; vein
color adaxial nearest RHS 187 on adaxial surface and the same as
surrounding tissue on abaxial surface. Gynoecium.--Style: enclosed
in column about 7.5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide at base; column color
nearest RHS 61C at base and RHS 60A distally; style protruding from
column and split in distal 10.0 mm portion into five branches and
protrudes from column, branch diameter 2.0 mm; branch color nearest
RHS 59B; Stigma: five; globose, puberulose, about 3.0 mm in
diameter, nearest RHS 59A; Ovary: superior, about 6.0 mm across at
base and 6.0 mm tall; acute apex; color: closest to RHS 145B.
Androecium.--Filaments: numerous, about 140; less than 1.0 mm in
diameter and about 6.0 mm long; attached to nearly the entire
length of column; nearest RHS 60A; Anthers: reniform; about 2 mm
long and 1 mm wide; nearest RHS 60D; Pollen: numerous, globose,
less than 0.1 mm long, between RHS 22A and RHS 22B.
Pedicel.--Rounded, glabrous, from base of sepal to abscission point
average 2.5 cm long and 3.0 mm wide on early flowers decreasing in
distal flowers; color nearest RHS 183B with high light exposure and
nearest RHS 138B with more shading. Peduncle.--Rounded, glabrous,
flowers are held easily visible on average 5.5 cm long from
abscission point to stem and 3.0 mm wide, longer on earlier
flowers; base color between RHS 144A and RHS 138A with a strong
tinting of RHS 184B. Fruit.--Few, loculicidal capsule; glabrous;
globose, occasionally with abruptly acute apex; RHS N199B when
mature. Seed.--Minutely floccose, globose to slightly reniform; 3
to 4 mm in diameter; RHS 200A. Disease resistance: Resistance
beyond that of other hardy hibiscus cultivars has not been
observed. The plant grows best with plenty of moisture and adequate
drainage, but is able to tolerate some drought when mature.
Hardiness at least from USDA zone 4 through 9, and other disease
resistance is typical of that of other hardy hibiscus
cultivars.
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