Patent Grant
PP36570
Latin name of the genus and species: The Latin name of the genus and species of the novel variety disclosed herein is Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott.
Variety denomination: The inventive variety of Colocasia disclosed herein has been given the variety denomination ‘FLOCOLEGY’.
This application claims priority to the Community Plant Variety Rights application number 2023/2200, filed Oct. 18, 2023, which is herein incorporated by reference.
Parentage: The claimed plant originated as a seedling selection, resulting from the controlled pollination of an unnamed Colocasia esculenta seed parent (not patented) with a second unnamed Colocasia esculenta plant (not patented), the pollen parent. Both parents were developed and owned by the inventor and were never commercially released. The seed parent exhibits near-black foliar veins while the pollen parent exhibits dark red foliar veins. The cross was performed by the inventor at a commercial greenhouse in Louisville, Kentucky in the summer of 2016. Seeds from said cross were harvested and germinated, and the resulting seedlings were grown to a mature size to evaluate each progeny for desirable commercial characteristics. In August of 2018, the inventor first observed one such plant that exhibited uniquely colored mid-green foliage with dark red veins and strongly recurved leaf margins. Upon confirmation of distinctness and stability of these characteristics, ‘FLOCOLEGY’ was selected for commercialization in August of 2021.
Asexual Reproduction: Asexual reproduction of ‘FLOCOLEGY’, by way of meristematic tissue culture, was first initiated in April of 2023 at a plant tissue culture laboratory in Nootdorp, The Netherlands. Through several subsequent generations of propagation there have been more than one thousand progenies produced which all maintain the unique features of the new plant.
The cultivar ‘FLOCOLEGY’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, water availability, and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype. The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘FLOCOLEGY’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘FLOCOLEGY’ as a new and distinct Colocasia cultivar:
The following observations and measurements made in October of 2024 describe the approximations of a ‘FLOCOLEGY’ plant grown in a 25 cm nursery container at a greenhouse in South Carolina; United States. The plant was produced in a climate-controlled greenhouse with 35 percent shade covering and was maintained with regular overhead irrigation, slow-release granular fertilizer with a complete analysis, curative chemical pest control measures to control aphids and spider mites, and preventative fungicide applications.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain characteristics will vary with older or, conversely, with younger plants. ‘FLOCOLEGY’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. Where dimensions, sizes, colors and other characteristics are given, it is to be understood that such characteristics are approximations or averages set forth as accurately as practicable. The phenotype of the variety may differ from the descriptions set forth herein with variations in environmental, climatic and cultural conditions. Color notations are based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, The Royal Horticultural Society, London, Second Edition.
A botanical description of ‘FLOCOLEGY’ and comparisons with the parent plants and most similar commercial comparator are provided below.
Plants of the new cultivar ‘FLOCOLEGY’ differ from the seed parent, an unnamed Colocasia esculenta plant (not patented), in the characteristics described in Table 1 below.
Plants of the new cultivar ‘FLOCOLEGY’ differ from the pollen parent, a second unnamed Colocasia esculenta plant (not patented), in the characteristics described in Table 2 below.
Plants of the new cultivar ‘FLOCOLEGY’ differ from the closest known commercial comparator, Colocasia ‘COPHAMA’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 33,772), in the following characteristics described in Table 3 below.
