Admiring the Donas

The Philippines is proud to have notable ladies who have considerably contributed to the task of nation building.  Among them are President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, former President Corazon C. Aquino, First Ladies Amelita Ramos and Imelda R. Marcos.  Today, such names are not only synonymous with political prestige but are now Hybrid names for indigenous species, Mussaenda.

Collectively known as the Doñas, Philippine Mussaendas were named after the First Ladies of the Philippines.  This is considered as the country’s most important contribution to the ornamental industry.  They are likewise regarded as the “centennial” breakthrough in Philippine Horticulture.  In fact, they have became popular not only in the Philippines but are also now gaining recognition abroad.
Characteristic of Mussaendas
The first Mussaenda, M. philippica var. aurorae Sulit, was named in honor of the wife of President Manuel L. Quezon,.  In 1915, Hugh Curran and Mamerto Sulit discovered it in Mt. Makiling in UP Los Baños.  Recent hybrids were now coined on Filipino synonyms of the word “muse” such as ‘Diwata’, ‘Mutya’, ‘Lakambini’, and ‘Diyosa’.
The “Doñas” are admired for their colorful sepals or modified leaves either in red, white, or pink.  Also, the hybrid possesses continuous blooming habit, almost throughout the year.  They are less floriferous from months of January to March.  They are commonly used for landscape.
Potted Mussaendas
With the idea of coming-up with a substitute or compliment to the poinsettias which grow only during the Christmas season, the Institute of Plant Breeding of the College of Agriculture (IPB-CA), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), developed a technology for potted Mussaendas and propagating varieties that are short-stemmed, proliferous, and easy-to-root.
The study on the Development of Colored Multi-Petaloid Mussaendas Suited for Potted Ornamentals, conducted by Dr. Simeona V. Siar of IPB, aimed to develop indigenous ornamentals such as Mussaenda as substitute and alternative to the traditional and introduced potted ornamentals such as poinsettias and chrysanthemum.  This included the: (1) hybridization and development of outstanding plants; and (2) evaluation and mass propagation of outstanding plants.
The Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), a coordinating and funding agency supporting R&D breakthroughs in agriculture and fisheries, supported the study from October 2001 to September 2002 and from February to December 2006 under its High-impact projects.
Mussaenda cultivars used in the hybridization stage include varieties of red (‘Doña Eva’, ‘Doña Trining’, ‘Lakambini’, and ‘Florida’), white (‘Mutya’, ‘Doña Aurora’, ‘Diwata’ and ‘Maria Makiling’), and the colored varieties (‘Baby Aurora’, ‘Doña Pacencia’, ‘Queen Sirikit’, and ‘Doña Esperanza’).
Protocol in producing potted flowering Mussaenda
1. Harvest flower initials from 6 to 7 am or late afternoon.  Healthy shoot tips should be 4-5 inches long and with 3-5 nodes.
2. Put the harvested shoots in clear plastic bag to avoid desiccation.
3. Remove older leaves and leave two to three pairs of nodal leaves.
4. Cut the basal end of the cuttings diagonally with a sharp pruning shear.
5. Dip the basal end portion of cuttings in a rooting hormone, Quick Root powder.
6. Plant two to three cuttings in four-inch pots with a mixture of part coir dust and one-half part sand.
7. Apply one tablespoon Osmocote (a slow release fertilizer).
Promising hybrid varieties
A total of 1,225 crosses were conducted from October to December 2001.  Doña Aurora was mostly involved.  To date, 513 seedlings have been generated from hybrids and open-pollinated cultivars.  The majority (104) of seedlings resulted from ‘Maria Makiling’ x ‘Doña Trining” with 104 seedlings.  Next in rank were ‘Florida’ x ‘Doña Trining’ and OP-(DE x DT) Hybrid2 with 92 and 78 seedlings, respectively.
From the hybrid seedlings generated, six varieties were added to the initially selected 10 outstanding hybrids.  Four of these were white petaloid and the other two were red ones.  The outstanding varieties are now being mass-propagated for varietal release and registration and eventual distribution to ornamental growers and enthusiasts.
Germination of Mussaenda seeds is one critical factor in generating hybrid seedlings.  The soaked seeds were then planted in plastic cups containing an equal mixture of sand and coir dust.  After spraying water, the cups were sealed with the use of polypropylene plastic.  Trays of sowed seeds were stored for a month at 14°C for stratification or cold treatment.  At their four-leaf stage, seedlings were ready for transplanting.
Based on the results generated, 60 rooted potted plants were acceptable and evaluated for postproduction as potted flowering mussaendas.  White mussaendas from both ambient (32 °C) and air-conditioned (28 °C) environments showed the longest longevity/interior keeping quality as potted ornamental compared to red mussaendas.  To date, 84 rooted cuttings have been produced through marcotting, 23 by shoot tip cuttings.

Now ornamental enthusiasts and gardeners can have at hand quality planting materials of Doñas with added factor of Mussaendas growing any time of the year.