Conekim Echinacea Cultivar Height Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Echinacea purpurea cultivars lack a variety with a shorter growth habit and attractive rose-pink to purple-pink flowers that are well-suited for both landscape and pot culture, offering long-lasting ornamentation.
Innovation Solution
The development of a new Echinacea purpurea cultivar, 'Conekim', characterized by a shorter growth habit, attractive rose-pink to purple-pink flowers, and excellent heat and drought tolerance, which can be asexually reproduced and propagated to maintain its unique characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If typical Echinacea purpurea cultivars are grown, then they produce flowers, but they assume a height of 26 to 60 inches which is too tall for compact ornamental use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by selecting and propagating a mutant plant with altered growth parameters. The 'Conekim' cultivar exhibits a reduced height parameter (15-18 inches vs. 26-60 inches of typical cultivars) while maintaining flowering capability, creating a new parameter set suitable for compact ornamental use in both landscape and container settings.
2Length of moving object
If shorter Echinacea cultivars are selected, then plant height is reduced, but they lack attractive rose-pink to purple-pink flowers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by ensuring that the shortened plant form does not compromise the quality of specific local features - particularly the flowers. The 'Conekim' cultivar maintains attractive rose-pink to purple-pink flower colors despite the reduced overall plant height, creating a localized quality enhancement in the floral display while the overall structure remains compact.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a new cultivar with unique characteristics is created, then ornamental diversity is enhanced, but propagation must be established to maintain stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies copying by using asexual propagation methods to create genetically identical copies of the mutant plant. Through cuttings and other vegetative propagation techniques, the unique characteristics of 'Conekim' (reduced height, flower color, growth habit) are reliably copied and transmitted to successive generations, ensuring characteristic stability while enabling widespread distribution of this new ornamental variant.
Data Source
AI summary
A new and distinct highly ornamental Echinacea plant is provided. The flowers are attractive and display rose-pink to purple-pink florets. The growth habit is shorter than that of typical Echinacea purpurea cultivars, including the ‘Kim's Knee High’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States). The green foliage contrasts nicely with the colorful flowers. The plant is well suited for providing attractive ornamentation when grown in the landscape or during pot culture.