Miscanthus Tiger Tail Hybrid Cultivar Leaf Banding

Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for a perennial, ornamental grass cultivar that can thrive in cold climates and exhibit unique and stable traits such as uniform leaf banding, upright culms, late-season blooming, and robust appearance, which are not met by existing Miscanthus varieties.

Innovation Solution

The cultivar 'Tiger Tail', resulting from the open pollination of Miscanthus strictus and Miscanthus cosmopolitan, combines the upright and strict appearance of Miscanthus strictus with the graceful bending leaves of Miscanthus cosmopolitan, featuring a heavy, green culm and distinctive leaf banding, providing a stable and attractive ornamental option.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If existing Miscanthus varieties are used, then they may provide some ornamental value, but they fail to exhibit the combination of uniform leaf banding, upright heavy culms, late-season blooming, and robust appearance simultaneously

Engineering Contradiction:

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines traits from two different Miscanthus species (M. strictus and M. cosmonopolitan) through open pollination to create a hybrid cultivar that exhibits uniform leaf banding, upright heavy culms, late-season blooming, and robust appearance - a combination of traits not found in either parent species alone or in existing varieties

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Shape

If Miscanthus strictus is used, then it provides upright and strict appearance, but it has small wiry unattractive culms and lacks graceful bending leaves

Engineering Contradiction:

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The hybrid cultivar merges the upright strict appearance of M. strictus with the graceful bending leaves of M. cosmonopolitan, achieving both culm rigidity and leaf flexibility in a single plant

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Adaptability or versatility

If Miscanthus cosmonopolitan is used, then it provides graceful bending leaves, but it lacks the upright strict appearance and has small wiry culms

Engineering Contradiction:

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The hybrid cultivar combines the graceful bending leaves of M. cosmonopolitan with the upright strict appearance and heavy culms of M. strictus, achieving both leaf flexibility and culm rigidity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Duration of action of moving object

If early blooming varieties are used, then they provide extended growing season, but they lack the late-season aesthetic value and robust appearance

Engineering Contradiction:

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The cultivar exhibits delayed blooming timing as a genetic parameter change, flowering in late summer through early fall rather than earlier, which extends the ornamental display period and provides late-season aesthetic value with robust appearance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20110072544P1Miscanthus plant named 'tiger tail'

Publication Date: 2011.03.24

AI summary

A cultivar of Miscanthus sinensis called ‘Tiger Tail.’ This cultivar is characterized by its long green leaves banded by yellow portions. It is tall in stature with thick, strict culms giving it an appearance of being tall and leafy throughout the growing season. The culms are green and less visible due to its color being similar to the leaf color.