Anigozanthos plant named Bush Emerald

A Kangaroo Paw plant (genus Anigozanthos) named Bush Emerald having a red and green inflorescence, narrow foliage developing a glaucous surface texture, spring flowering in outdoor temperate climate, and superior resistance to Alternaria species.

The present invention relates to a new and distinctive cultivar of 
Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paw), named Bush Emerald. Kangaroo Paw is the 
popular name applied to all species of the botanical genera Anigozanthos 
Labill and Macropidia Harv and their variants and hybrids. 
Anigozanthos Labill is a genus of eleven described species of herbaceous 
perennial plants of the family Haemodoraceae, and which are endemic to the 
south-western region of western Australia. These species, together with 
the closely allied monotype Macropidia fuliginosa (Hook.) Druce, are as 
above noted jointly referred to by the popular common name Kangaroo Paws. 
Wild populations of Kangaroo Paws grow in a warm temperature Mediterranean 
climate (Summer drought). Vitality is at a minimum in late Summer/early 
Autumn, and some species show or tend to a full deciduous dormancy at this 
time. Active vegetative growth is reinstated with the onset of lower 
temperatures and rainfall in the Autumn (Fall). The flowering season 
varies considerably between species, but the display period is normally of 
several months somewhere within the range of late Winter to mid-Summer. 
Mature plants consist of a clump of leaf fans arising from ramified rhizome 
which exists at immediate subsurface soil levels. Rhizome extends and 
branches by annual growth and is more or less persistent. Leaves and roots 
are replenished on an annual basis. 
Leaves arise from rhizome buds and exist as fans of alternate ensheathing 
leaves arranged on an equitant conduplicate pattern, and with very short 
internodes. 
Individual leaves are normally relatively straight and narrow in length, 
being approximately parallel sided in the lower half or more, and tapering 
to an acute point above. As new leaves arise in the center of each fan 
between the next youngest leaves, older leaves are progressively displaced 
at an angle. In some species older leaves may become distinctly recurved. 
There is variation between species in the stature of leaf fans and in the 
relative width of individual leaves. In the largest species, leaves may be 
one meter in length and up to five centimeters wide. In the smallest 
species, leaves may be ten centimeters in length and one centimeter wide. 
The active apical meristem in a leaf fan is located near the base of the 
fan during the active vegetative growth stage. Eventually, a rapid 
increase in length of successive internodes occurs accompanied by a 
decrease in leaf size and followed by a differentiation of the apex, the 
overall process forming a flower stem. The overall length of the flower 
stem varies between 1.5 and 2.5 times the length of the basal leaves of 
the leaf fan according to the species. 
The inflorescence per se is a unilateral raceme, both series of sub-sessile 
to shortly pedunculate alternating flowers being oriented in the same 
direction. Each peduncle is marked by a pointed bract shorter than the 
flower. The flower is itself bilaterally symmetrical consisting of a 
spherical tri-locular basal ovary extending into an initially narrower and 
cylindrical perianth which broadens and flattens and terminates in six 
lobes. At anthesis the lobes which are contiguous in bud, separate and 
reflex, the degree varying with species. The style is simple, free, and 
about as long as the perianth, and terminates in a small sub spherical 
stigma. The six anthers have short to very short filaments, the points of 
insertion being towards the apex of the perianth. 
Three more or less distinctive patterns in the architecture of the flower 
stem can be recognized. In some species the architecture is simple, with 
the stem being simple and terminating in a solitary raceme. In other 
species, the stem is initially simple but forks immediately 
sub-terminally, each fork terminating in a raceme. In some species, the 
stem is initially simple but then branches more or less dichotomously, the 
node being subtended by a shortened leaf. Secondary branching may occur, 
but eventually most branches fork, each ultimate branch or fork 
terminating in a raceme. 
In one extreme in some species, the length of the overall flower stem can 
exceed two meters. At the other extreme, in some species, the stem may 
rarely be longer than twenty centimeters. 
Racemes may be few to many flowered and individual flowers from three 
centimeters to ten centimeters in length varying with species. 
In all species the flowers, and in all but one species the stem, are 
clothed with a close indumentum of velvet texture. The indumentum is 
colored and the stem, ovary, and perianth may be distinctively colored. 
Flower color or pattern of coloration normally applies to that of this 
indumentum. Development of pigmentation is to some degree a function of 
environmental conditions, especially of temperature and total irradiance 
during bud development. 
The new cultivar Bush Emerald was created by the inventor as a result of a 
controlled crossing of a selected genotype of the species Anigozanthos 
viridis Endl. (seed parent) with a selected genotype of the species 
Anigozanthos manglesii D. Don (pollen parent). 
Asexual reproduction by applicant in Monbulk, Victoria, Australia by 
divisions of the rhizome and by aseptic multiplication of leaf shoots 
including apical meristem on nutrient media has reproduced the unique 
features of the new cultivar through successive generations. 
The following characteristics distinguish the new cultivar from both its 
parents and from other Kangaroo Paws known and used in the ornamental 
horticultural industry. 
1. The cultivar exhibits superior resistance compared with either parent to 
Alternaria species, these air-born fungal species which are the major 
hazard to Kangaroo Paws in cultivation. Both parents were themselves 
selected as genotypes having relatively superior resistance when compared 
with other cultivars in the species. 
2. The characteristics of the foliage most closely resemble those of the 
seed parent, and the characteristics of the inflorescence most closely 
resemble those of the pollen parent. 
3. The combination of flower and foliage characteristics is generally more 
decorative and pleasing than in either parent, and the overall color 
contrasts are distinctive and interesting. 
4. The leaves are a blue-green and develop a waxy, glaucous bloom; the 
leaves are narrow, upright, and sub-parallel in each leaf fan, and rarely 
longer than 40 cm. 
5. The overall inflorescence is usually simple, with a terminal raceme of 
12 to 18 flowers and between 60 cm and 90 cm in length; occasional single 
forked stems arise, each fork having a terminal raceme; mature flowers are 
approximately 10 cm in length. 
6. The upper part of the flower stem, the axis of the raceme, and the ovary 
of the flowers are clothed in a red indumentum; the indumentum of the 
perianth of the flower is deep green. Buds are paler in color, with 
pigmentation increasing as the buds develop. 
7. Growth is vigorous and young plants quickly establish clumps of leaf 
fans by rhizome growth, and such growth is superior to either parent. 
Maximum growth rates of young plants are exhibited where maximum day 
temperatures are in the range 18 degrees Celsius to 23 degrees Celsius 
and minimum night temperatures are in the range of 10 to 15 degrees 
Celsius.

The following is a detailed description of Bush Emerald based on plants 
produced at Bush Gems Garden Nursery in Monbulk, Victoria, Australia. 
Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart 
except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are 
used. Terms used have the same meaning and significance as those used and 
defined above regarding the characteristics of propagation, plant form, 
habit of growth, foliage, flowers and rhizome common and general to all 
plants of Anigozanthos. 
Parentage: A hybrid of two selected genotypes of the species Anigozanthos 
viridis Endl. (seed parent) and Anigozanthos manglesii D. Don (pollen 
parent). 
Propagation: Asexual by: (A) Rhizome divisions; optimum period late Summer 
to early Fall. (B) "In vitro" proliferation of multiple shoots from plants 
of apical meristem with immediate leaf primordia, with a five-fold 
multiplication occurring each four to five weeks on appropriate media. 
Rooting in four to six weeks "in vivo" at approximately 20 degrees Celsius 
root zone temperature in high relative humidity environment. Use of 
anti-transpirant sprays beneficial. 
Plant description: 
(A) Form.--Clumping, rhizomic, perennial plant suited to cultivation in 
containers, in gardens (in essentially frost free environments), and as a 
row-crop cut flower. Clumps are relatively dense. 
(B) Habit of growth.--The main period of active growth -- rhizome 
extension, production of new leaf fans, and induction/evocation of flowers 
-- is Winter and Spring. Vegetative growth will continue in Summer with 
irrigation but flowering is rare. 
(C) Foliage.--The basal leaves of each leaf fan are of alternate, 
conduplicate, ensheathing arrangement. (1) Size and shape: Basal leaves up 
to 35 cm long by 8 to 10 mm wide at base, more or less uniformly tapering 
to a point. (2) Texture: Smooth, glabrous, with a glaucous "bloom", 
scattered hairs along the leaf edges. (3) Color: Mature, healthy foliage 
varying between Green 137A and 137B. The widely spaced leaves of the 
flower stem decrease from approximately 25 cm in length nearer the base to 
a few cm near the raceme, with a corresponding increase from near glabrous 
to a scattered indumentum. Color is similar to color of basal leaves. 
Flowers: 
(A) Flowering habit.--Flowers in dense, unilateral biseriate racemes, 
normally a solitary raceme terminal to an unbranched stem. Stems very 
occasionally forked. Overall length of the inflorescence varies with 
environmental conditions but is typically in the range 60 cm to 80 cm, and 
rarely exceeds one meter. 
(B) Natural flowering season.--Late Winter and Spring. Young plants 
produced from tissue culture may have an atypical first flowering season. 
(C) Flower bud.--Tubular, but the perianth is constricted above the ovary, 
approximately 6 cm long and varying from 6 to 9 mm in diameter. The 
perianth lobes are fused in an enlarged, asymmetrical tip. 
(D) Flowering raceme.--Axis somewhat convex relative to display position of 
flowers; the pedicels of the flowers are short, approximately 7 mm, and 
spaced at 15 mm intervals, each pedicel subtended by a small bract, 
approximately 4 mm wide and 25 mm long. The lowest flowers of the raceme 
open first, the perianth lobes reflexing fully through 180 degrees, buds 
at the anterior end progressively grown and open. A single raceme 
typically produces 12 to 15 flowers. 
(E) Individual flower.--Sub-spherical basal ovary approximately 10 mm in 
diameter, extending into a tubular perianth 5 cm in length. The ultimate 
15 mm of the perianth consists of six lobes which reflex fully on opening, 
eventually reclosing. 
(F) Color.--The base of the flower stem is near glabrous, color red-purple 
59A; the indumentum increases until dense in the region of the raceme 
where the color is red-purple 59B. The indumentum of the pedicel is marked 
by a narrow band of near black hairs. In the lower region the indumentum 
of the perianth is yellow-green 162C and progressively grades to 
yellow-green 152A at the tip. 
Disease resistance: Resistance to fungal leaf diseases (viz. Alternaria 
spp.) is superior when compared to typical wild seedling Kangaroo Paws, as 
confirmed by field trials at various sites and seasons.