Patent of the week-Hibiscus plant named ‘DUP-CHIP’
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis commonly known as Chinese hibiscus, China rose or rose mallow is a species of tropical hibiscus, a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family.
It is interesting to know that Robert James Dupont, SR. has invented a new and distinct way of growing Hibiscus flower, which got patent protection with the Patent Number USPP29278P3 on 8th May, 2018. Its botanical name is Hibiscus-rosa-sinensis, but herein it shall be referred to as DUP-CHIP, as the name is provided by the grower.
The ancestry of this present rosa-sinensis is not really known but it is believed that today’s hybrids are products of inter-specific crosses having Hawaiian, Polynesian and Asian species.
It is believed that the first hibiscus identified as a rosa-sinensis was a double red form of uncertain origin found in cultivation in China, India and Polynesia, to be later introduced to Hawaii from Polynesia.
Speculations states that the original rosa-sinensis is actually a species hybrid, naturally arising, involving two or more species. Flowers produced with the process of hybridization were of spectacular size and colour intensity and were really impressive but these flowers were weak and did not have a longer life. They would die within a time span of 10-15 years.
Hibiscus flowers seemed to sell only when they were in a bloom condition. The inventor tried to produce many new varieties of Hibiscus resulting a vast improvement in rosa-sinensis hybrids, by conducting an intense hybridizing program at his commercial Nursery in Plaquemine, La.
His main objective is to produce varieties of hibiscus which could root easily under commercial rooting conditions, grow well on their own roots, mature well under commercial greenhouse conditions.
Further objectives are to produce hibiscus cultivars, having large flowers with unique and desirable flower characteristics, such as size, color intensity and pattern.
With all these objectives, DUP-CHIP, the new and improved cultivator has been produced. It has dark green glossy leaves, smaller in size than that of the original variety. They are moderately upright, yet compact for container production and culture. It has a freely flowering habit.
It turns out to be a large flower having a large dark red eye zone. A DUP-CHIP focuses on quality of the plant along with that of the flower. Seedling with even outstanding blooms are not used in the plant is not an improvement in form, heat performance or free flowing nature. The inventor tries a variety of seedlings under rigorous conditions of heat and humidity and then select the best performer.
DUP-CHIP has been propagated by taking hard wood, semi hard wood and tip cuttings, with semi hard-wood preferable. The rate of opening of the flower bud is 1 to 2 days and is generally faster in warmer weather. The average branch of a saleable plant is 5.5”
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