Patent Application
20150282403
Medinilla hybrid
‘ROYAL PEARLZ’
The present invention relates to a new and distinct hybrid cultivar of Medinilla plant, botanically known as medinilla sp., hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘ROYAL PEARLZ’. The genus of Medinilla belongs to the Melastimataceae family.
The new Medinilla ‘ROYAL PEARLZ’ is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor, Ely Bak and Nico D. M. Steur, in Assendelft, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop a new Medinilla variety with good growing habit and attractive inflorescence.
The New Medinilla ‘ROYAL PEARLZ’ originated from a cross made in the controlled breeding progeam by the inventors in 2008, in Assendelft, The Netherlands. The female or seed parent is the Medinilla selection designated ‘834918227’ (unpatented). ‘ROYAL PEARLZ’ was discovered and selected by the inventors in 2010, as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Assendelft, The Netherlands.
Asexual reproduction of the new Medinilla hybrid ‘ROYAL PEARLZ’ performed by vegetative means by cuttings was first performed in 2010, in Assendelft, The Netherlands. The first ‘ROYAL PEARLZ’ plants propagated through the use of the cuttings flowered in 2011, in Assendelft, The Netherlands, and have demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true-to-type.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be unique characteristics of ‘ROYAL PEARLZ’ which in combination distinguish this Medinilla hybrid as a new and distinct cultivar:
Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventors, the most similar in comparison to the new Medinilla ‘ROYAL PEARLZ’ is the Medinilla ‘MAGNIFICA’. Plants of the new Medinilla ‘ROYAL PEARLZ’ differ from plants of Medinilla ‘MAGNIFICA’ primarily in leaf size and bract size. Plants of ‘ROYAL PEARLZ’ have smaller leaves and smaller sized bracts than plants of “MAGNIFICA’.
The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Medinilla ‘ROYAL PEARLZ’ showing the colors as true as is reasonably possible with colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describes the color of ‘ROYAL PEARLZ’.
‘ROYAL PEARLZ’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, day length, fertilizers and humidity without any change in the genotype of the plant.
The aforementioned photograph, together with the following observations, measurements and values describe the new Medinilla “ROYAL PEARLZ’ as grown in a greenhouse in Assendelft, The Netherlands, under conditions which closely approximate those generally used in commercial practice.
Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.), 2001 Edition, except where general colors of ordinary significance are used. Color values were taken under daylight conditions in a greenhouse in Assendelft, The Netherlands. The age of the plants of ‘ROYAL PEARLZ’ described is about 50 weeks from potting.
