New Mutant Variety of Ti Plant

Tired of your “Itchy Red” plant? The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) has an interesting alternative.

In one of their experiments, PNRI researchers exposed “Itchy Red” to gamma rays, transforming it into a “colorful” success – themutant Ti plant, Cordyline “Medina.”

The PNRI-developed Cordyline terminalis “Medina.”

“Medina” with inflorescence.

“Medina,” according to F.B. Aurigue of PNRI is produced from subjecting “Itchy Red” to 20 Gy of gamma rays. The process results in chlorophyll mutation, which causes the production of new leaf color.

The mutant variety is an erect shrub reaching 3 meters in height, and has green leaves with irregular creamy white, purple and red-violet stripes. A remarkable feature of “Medina” is its purple midrib that extends to the petiole as parallel stripes but only on the lower surface.

These characteristics separate “Medina” from its base plant, “Itchy Red,” a popular variety of Cordyline terminalis and is commonly known as Ti plant or locally as “Tuncod-pari” or “Baston ni San Jose.” “Itchy Red” is a herbaceous plant with narrowly elliptic to elliptic, purple leaves with dark pink to red-violet markings.

The unbranched stem of “Medina” occasionally produces water sprouts at the leafless basal portion. Suckers develop freely from the rootstock, especially when grown on the ground.

As the ornamental plant industry thrives in novelty, “Medina” is expected to attract industry attention. The new variety is ideal for landscaping due to its beauty and resilience to strong winds. As cut foliage, it has a vase life of 12 days and its multiple colors will bring life to any flower arrangement.

Two other Cordyline varieties closely resemble “Medina” – the Cordyline “Tricolor,” a hybrid from Costa Rica and the “Christmas Ti”. Both have three colors like “Medina,” but expert mutation breeder, Dr. Kent Leonhardt of the University of Hawaii confirmed that “Medina” is distinct from other known or commercially available Ti plant varieties.

In addition, the world-renowned authority on Cordyline, Dr. Frank Brown, said that the mutant developed by PNRI has better color and appearance than Tricolor. On the other hand, the variety Christmas Ti is small and has a different leaf shape.

Cordyline “Medina” is registered with the National Seed Industry Council as NSIC 2005 Orn-67. It is named after Brig. Gen. Florencio Medina, Sr., father of the Philippine Atomic Energy and the first Commissioner of then Philippine Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), now PNRI.

Rooted top cuttings can be ordered from PNRI-DOST in Diliman, Quezon City. (Susan Sandra L. Ilao-S & T Media Service)