Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ‘Leonor Magtolis Briones’ and H. rosa-sinensis ‘Filomena Fortich Campos’ – New Cultivars of Hibiscus

Two outstanding selections of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis were generated from continuous hybridization of a broad germplasm composed of local and international varieties at the Institute of Plant Breeding, CAFS, UPLB. These Hibiscus selections were registered with the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) as new cultivars: H. rosa-sinensis ‘Leonor Magtolis Briones’ named after the former Secretary of the Department of Education and H. rosa-sinensis ‘Filomena Fortich Campos’, an Academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology, in recognition of their significant contributions to the fields of education and agricultural research. H. rosa-sinensis ‘Leonor Magtolis Briones’ is a progeny from a cross between H. rosa-sinensis ‘Dolores A. Ramirez’ and H. rosa-sinensis ‘Cherry Appaloosa’. It is a single, large, thick, cartwheel overlapped with ruffled edges flower, with an average diameter of 15.5 cm. The corolla is primarily brilliant orange yellow (RHS 23B) with orange-pinkish overlay on the petal surface that is more prominent during the early morning but slowly disappears in the late afternoon, and vivid yellow blotches (RHS 15B) on petal edges; the eye is strong purplish red (RHS 63B) in color occupying half of the petal from the base. The variety has a unique feature of changing petal color from yellow orange early in the morning, to golden yellow at midday, to bright yellow in late afternoon. On the other hand, H. rosa-sinensis ‘Filomena Fortich Campos’ is a hybrid from a cross between H. rosa-sinensis ‘Sleepy Lady’ and H. rosa-sinensis ‘Alma L. Javier’. The large flower has thick cartwheel overlapped petals and ruffled edges with a diameter ranging from 15.5 to 17.0 cm. The color is predominantly pale orange-yellow (RHS 16D) with light yellow (RHS 20B) outlining the petal edges, shifting in huer as the day progresses. In early morning, a touch of deep purplish pink (RHS N66C) appears on the left side of each petal from the base to the tip and creating a star-like effect as the bloom opens. By afternoon, this overlay fades, revealing a pale orange-yellow (RHS 16D) hue with yellow-brown edges and a diffused, vivid red (RHS 45A) eye.