Hibiscus International #19 Part#2

The author of an excellent monograph below titled: "The Hybrid Gumamelas of Los Baños, Laguna", is a Professor of Engineering at the State University of the Philippines (Diliman, Quezon City). The term "Gumamela" is believed to be of East Indian origin adopted into the Filipino lingua franca or Pilipino which is a young language derived from a dialect called Tagalog or TigaIlog (roughly, from the river). Pilipino is actually a mélange of various languages and dialects. For example, the word "palenque", meaning market, is actually of Aztec origin assimilated in the 1800's when Mexico and the Philippines were both the premiere colonies of Imperial Spain on the opposite end points of a thriving galleon trade that straddled the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Professor Mark Zarco has taken a very strong interest in cultivating hibiscus rosa-sinensis hybrids and has a growing collection of plants thriving at his residence in the idyllic grounds at the University of the Philippines. This monograph is a unique treatment on the subject of Philippine hibiscus hybrids developed by a world class scientific institute The Institute of Plant Breeding - The Editor.

The Hybrid Gumamelas
of Los Baños, Laguna
By: Mark H. Zarco

Introduction

Gumamela is the local term used in the Philippines for Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, and its numerous hybrids. Believed to have been introduced by Chinese traders prior to the arrival of the Spaniards in the 1500's, it has become one of the most widely cultivated ornamental plants in the Philippines adorning most Filipino home gardens and public parks.

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the collection and cultivation of hybrid hibiscus varieties in the Philippines. This has been partly due to the introduction of local hybrid hibiscus cultivars developed at the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB), a research center of University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna located 65 kilometers south of Manila.

Located at the foot of a dormant volcano, Mt. Makiling, the town of Los Baños is also home to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), and the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). It boasts of having the highest concentration of doctorates in the Philippines.

About the Philippines

The Philippines is an archipelago located in Southeast Asia consisting of 7,107 islands, and total land area of 300,000 km2.

About 84 million Filipinos make up the population, 55% of whom occupy the largest island of Luzon. Filipinos comprise 111 cultural and linguistic groups of Malayo-Polynesian origin, with varying degrees of Chinese, Spanish and American influences. The Philippines is the world's third largest English-speaking country after the United State and the United Kingdom.

The climate in the Philippines is tropical with an average temperature of 32°C (80°F). March through June are hot and dry with average temperatures reaching a high of 36°C; rains and typhoons about from July through October; November to February are cool and dry with temperatures around 23°C.

Hybrid Hibiscus

The Gumamela breeding program of the IPB was initiated in December 1994 by Mr. Reynold B. Pimentel using both locally avail-able cultivars as well as new hybrids from the US, Hawaii and Australia. Over the past nine years, the breeding program has produced two series of hybrid hibiscus cultivars. These are the Centennial series released in 1998, and the Millennium series released in 2000. A third set of hybrid hibiscus cultivars, the Celebrity Star series is set to be released in early 2004.

Prior to its Gumamela breeding program, the IPB had a very successful ornamental plant breeding program which developed 20 new hybrid varieties of the Mussaenda, an ornamental plant related to the coffee plant, that is endemic to the Philippines.

The Centennial Series

Introduced in June 1998 to commemorate the centennial year of

Philippine Independence, this was the first set of hybrid Gumamelas to be released to the commercial market by the IPB. The series consists of 11 cultivars named after the courageous women who fought and worked for the freedom and liberation of the country against its Spanish colonial masters.

A prolific bloomer with peach orange, regular single blooms with a prominent deep maroon eye and zone, and yellow edges. Blooms are normally 8" in diameter, but can reach 10" with proper care. The plant is characterized by bushy habit with the general tendency to sprawl when regularly pruned.

A prolific bloomer with creamy white medium, regular single blooms with a prominent red eye. The plant has an upright and bushy habit of average height, and requires highly porous soil with good drainage to thrive.

A very prolific bloomer with medium to large, regular single, heavy textured lemon yellow blooms and a white eye, zone and halo. The plant is average in height with an upright and bushy habit.

A very bushy and upright plant bearing medium to large, regular single apricot orange blooms with a pastel pink eye and zone. This variety is easily propagated from cuttings.

A very bushy and upright plant bearing medium to large fully overlapped single yellow blooms with splashes of orange on the eye and zone areas. The plant is a prolific bloomer, and also a very vigorous grower. This variety is easily propagated from cuttings.

A tall, upright bush bearing medium to large regular single orange blooms with yellow overlay and vein markings and a pale pink eye. The plant is a prolific bloomer.

A moderately prolific bloomer bearing medium to large, cartwheel overlapped single, cerise pink blooms with a deep red eye. The plant is of medium height with an

upright, bushy habit, particularly with regular pinching. Growers claim this to be the most difficult in the Centennial series to propagate from cuttings.

A moderately prolific bloomer bearing bright scarlet, cartwheel overlapped single blooms. Plant is medium height with an upright, bushy habit. This variety is easily propagated from cuttings.

A moderately prolific bloomer bearing medium regular single deep rose blooms with prominent white eye zone and vein markings. The plant is medium in height and has a very upright and bushy habit.

A medium to large, cartwheel overlapped single, apricot orange in color with a magenta eye. The plant is medium in height, with an upright and bushy habit. May initially be slow growing, but eventually picks up with size.

A moderately prolific bloomer that features extra large, ruffled and tufted overlapped, scarlet red single blooms with a deep glossy red eye. The plant is medium in height with an upright and bushy habit.

The Millennium Series

Motivated by its success in the Centennial Series, the IPB continued it breeding programming to develop cultivars that were more resistant to disease and pest, as well as prolific to very prolific bloomers

bearing large to very large colorful flowers. This effort resulted in the Millennium series which was released in 2000, as a tribute to the Filipino women scientists from Los Baños who made great contrib-utions to the advancement of Philippine Agriculture in the past millennium. The series consists of seven cultivars all of which are prolific to very prolific bloomers.

Features large to extra large, single and overlapped blooms with a maroon eye, brown zone, and orange halo. The plant is tall, upright, bushy and well branched. Among the best selling hybrid hibiscus cultivars because of its very prolific blooming habit as well as its resistance to most pests but is somewhat susceptible to root and collar rot. Named in honor of a renowned Filipino rural sociologist.

Named after the leading Filipino entomologist, this variety features large to extra large; single overlapped and slightly reflexed blooms that are pale yellow in color with a deep maroon eye and zone, and distinct yellow halo. When newly opened, pink tint can be noticed around the edges. The plant is tall, upright and well branched, although stems tend to weak and brittle.

Named after the leading orchid expert in the Philippines, this variety features medium to large, single overlapped blooms that are bright orange with yellow edges and a pronounced red eye and zone. Blooms are heavy textured and last for two days. The plant is a prolific bloomer with an upright habit and a general tendency to become leggy.

Many growers have observed a tendency of this cultivar to develop twisted or distorted leaves with heavy feeding. It is also claimed to be the most susceptible among the cultivars in the Millennium series to common pests, particularly mealy bugs and snow scale insects.

A very prolific bloomer, this variety features single overlapped, cardinal red blooms with a prominent red eye. Bloom sizes are extra large often reaching 8" in diameter. The plant is upright with a general tendency to become leggy and requires periodic pruning.

Most growers observe this cultivar to be highly susceptibility snow scale insects, as well as to root and collar rot. As such, is best planted in highly porous soil with good drainage. Also, experience indicates this to be the most difficult among the cultivars in the Millennium series to propagate from cuttings.

Named after a renowned Filipino plant geneticist, this cultivar features medium, single, overlapped blooms that are rich golden yellow with a lilac eye zone and white veins radiating from the center. When newly opened, an orange overlay is noticeable. The plant is a prolific bloomer, with an upright habit and a general tendency to become leggy, and is relatively resistant to most pest and diseases.

Obdulia Sison is a prolific bloom-er named in honor of the first Summa cum Laude graduate of UP Los Baños, this cultivar features large, single overlapped blooms that are soft pink rose with edges and a red eye and zone, with light pink veins radiating from the center. Blooms have a heavy texture and last for two days. The bush is tall and upright, with the general tend-ency to become leggy. A very vigorous grower once established. Like Millennia, this variety is susceptible to root and collar rot.

Named in honor of the woman who pioneered the use of tissue cult-ure in breeding hybrid coconut varieties, this cultivar features medium sized, heavy textured, regular single blooms that are creamy yellow with lemon edges and pink veins radiating through the petals. The eye and zone are creamy yellow with a distinct lavender pink halo. The plant is of medium height, with a bushy and sprawling habit, and is moderately prolific. A vigorous grower and easily propagated from cuttings.

Conclusion

The commercial release of a new series of hibiscus hybrid varieties from the Institute of Plant Breeding is eagerly being awaited in the Philippines. This new series, the Celebrity Star series, features five new hybrid hibiscus cultivars will pay tribute to brilliant, accomplished and respected Filipina movie actressses. Among the hybrid hibiscus varieties included in this series is a semidwarf variety characterized by medium sized, semidouble, quilted blooms which vary in color from lavender to mauve depending on the climate.

It is expected that the intro-duction of new hibiscus hybrid varieties developed will bring an increased appreciation in the Philippines of the value of hybrid hibiscus as an ornamental plant.