A new and distinct cultivar of Anthurium is provided. It is a medium size plant, suitable for production in 15-cm to 20-cm containers, with relatively vigorous growth; full and symmetrical growth habit; early and abundant branching; early, very abundant and year-round flowering; and resistance to Xanthomonas campestris pv. dieffenbachiae. Dark red spathes with contrasting cream-colored spadices are held mostly above foliage.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

VARIETY DENOMINATION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of anthurium plant, botanically known as Anthurium hybrid, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Valentine.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Altha, Fla. The objective of the program was to develop a well branching, compact pot Anthurium cultivar, resistant to Xanthomonas campestris pv. dieffenbachiae , with attractive spathes and a good flower count. The new Anthurium was discovered and selected by the Inventor in 1998 as a seedling within the progeny of a cross made in 1995 in a controlled environment in Altha, Fla. The female parent was a proprietary Anthurium seedling selection identified by the code number 91-11-48, obtained by the Inventor in the same breeding program, not patented. The male parent was a selected clone of Anthurium hybrid cultivar Lady Jane identified by the code number 941, not patented.

Asexual propagation of Valentine , since 1998, by means of tissue culture in Altha, Fla. has established that the unique characteristics of this new cultivar are in fact stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Anthurium cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and/or horticultural practices such as temperature, light intensity, day length, fertilization, irrigation, propagation procedures etc., without any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and in combination distinguish Valentine as a new and distinct cultivar of pot Anthurium:

1. Medium size plant, appropriate for 15-cm to 20-cm containers;

2. Symmetrical and full growth habit;

4. Abundant and relatively early branching;

7. Very good inflorescence longevity on the plant;

Plants of Valentine are distinguished from plants of the female parent, a proprietary Anthurium seedling selection identified by the code number 91-11-48, by its smaller size; earlier and more abundant branching; more abundant flowering; smaller leaf blades; much darker red, glossier, smaller, flatter, more horizontal spathes held closer to foliage; shorter, straight, cream-colored spadices as opposed to curved, dark purple spadices of 91-11-48; and greater inflorescence longevity on the plant.

Plants of Valentine are distinguished from plants of the male parent, a selected clone of Anthurium hybrid cultivar Lady Jane identified by the code number 941, by its earlier and more abundant branching; earlier and more abundant flowering; smaller leaf blades; more ovate, shorter spathes, with lower length:width ratio, glossier, deep red and held above foliage as opposed to dark pink spathes of Lady Jane 941, often held among foliage; cream-colored spadices as opposed to pinkish-cream spadices of Lady Jane 941; and greater inflorescence longevity on the plant.

The new cultivar can be compared to its siblings, cultivars: Salsa U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/960,456 and Favorita U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/961,829. The comparisons were made on plants of the same age, grown side-by-side under the same greenhouse conditions in Altha, Fla.

Plants of the new Anthurium cultivar differ from plants of the cultivar Salsa in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of Valentine are narrower, have taller foliage and fuller growth habit than plants of Salsa .

2. Plants of Valentine branch earlier and more abundantly than plants of Salsa .

3. Plants of Valentine start flowering later, but flower more abundantly than plants of Salsa .

4. Leaf blades of Valentine are smaller with lower length to width ratio than leaf blades of Salsa .

5. Spathes of Valentine are smaller, with lower length to width ratio and are held closer to foliage than spathes of Salsa .

6. Spathes of Valentine are deep red, whereas spathes of Salsa are pink-red.

7. Spadices of Valentine are smaller than spadices of Salsa .

Plants of the new Anthurium cultivar differ from plants of the cultivar Favorita in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of Valentine are smaller and have slightly fuller growth habit than plants of Favorita .

2. Plants of Valentine start flowering later, but flower more abundantly than plants of Favorita .

3. Leaf blades of Valentine are smaller, lighter green and less glossy than leaf blades of Favorita .

4. Peduncles of Valentine are thinner, weaker and shorter than peduncles of Favorita .

5. Spathes of Valentine are smaller, have lower length to width ratio; are held higher above foliage and have better longevity on the plant than spathes of Favorita .

6. Spathes of Valentine are deep red, whereas spathes of Favorita are orange-red.

7. Spadices of Valentine are smaller and cream-colored, whereas spadices of Favorita are pink-purple.

The new cultivar can be compared to the known Anthurium cultivar 75-10 , disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,355, a/k/a Red Hot . The comparisons were made on plants of the same age, grown side-by-side under the same greenhouse conditions in Altha, Fla.

Plants of the new Anthurium cultivar differ from plants of the cultivar 75-10 in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of Valentine are smaller and have smaller leaf blades than plants of 75-10 .

2. Inflorescences of Valentine are of a good quality from the onset of flowering, whereas several first spathes produced by plants of 75-10 are very small and deformed.

3. Spathes of Valentine are held closer to foliage, are more horizontal, flatter, less puckered, glossier and deeper red.

4. Spadices of Valentine are shorter, straight and cream-colored, whereas spadices of 75-10 are usually curved and dark purple.

5. Inflorescences of Valentine have greater longevity on the plant than inflorescences of 75-10 .

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following observations and measurements were recorded in February 2001, on plants grown in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse in Altha, Fla. under conditions which closely approximate those used in commercial horticultural practice. During growth of these plants day temperature in the greenhouse ranged between 23 and 28 C., night temperature ranged between 20 and 23 C., and light level ranged between 800 and 1500 foot-candles. Plants used for these observations were grown as single plants in 15-cm containers and were about 15 months from planting tissue culture-produced microcuttings.

Mature, fully developed plants were used for the following observations and measurements unless otherwise indicated. Numerical measurements represent means from typical plants of Valentine . Color references are made to The R.H.S. Colour Chart, except where general color terms of ordinary significance are used. Color values were determined under natural light of approximately 1200 to 2200 foot-candles.

Female parent. Proprietary Anthurium seedling selection identified by the code number 91-11-48 (not patented).

Male parent. Selected clone of Anthurium hybrid cultivar Lady Jane, identified by the code number 941 (not patented).

Time to produce a rooted liner. Summer: About 13 to 14 weeks at about 25 to 30 C. soil temperature. Winter: About 15 to 16 weeks at about 22 to 27 C. soil temperature.

Plant size. Height, soil level to top of inflorescences: About 39.7 cm. Height, soil level to top of leaf canopy: About 31.2 cm. Diameter (area of spread): About 41.6 cm.

Crop time. About fourteen months are needed to produce a finished plant in a 15-cm container from a single tissue culture-produced microcutting.

Petiole. Size: About 14.5 cm long, about 3.6 mm in diameter immediately below geniculum. Geniculum: About 2.4 cm long, about 4.3 mm in diameter at the base. Inconspicuous. Color: Newly unrolled leaf, adaxial: Very variable due to variable amounts of purplish anthocyanin coloration. Varies between different combinations of 152A and 199A. Geniculum between 146A and 199A. Newly unrolled leaf, abaxial: Variable due to variable amounts of purplish anthocyanin coloration. Varies between different combinations of 152B and 199A. Geniculum 144A. Mature leaf, adaxial: Between 146B and 144A. Amount of purplish anthocyanin coloration increases distally. Geniculum 146A with slight anthocyanin coloration. Mature leaf, abaxial: Approximately 144A near base; very slight purplish anthocyanin coloration in the distal part except for geniculum. Geniculum 144A.

Leaf blade. Shape: Ovate; apex acuminate with some cuspidate tendencies; base truncate with cordate tendencies; margin entire. Size: About 17.3 cm long, about 11.3 cm wide; length:width ratio about 1.5:1. Aspect: Most leaves approximately horizontal. Texture/surface: Thick, leathery, glabrous; young leaves glossy. Venation: Pinnipalmate; primary veins prominent. Color: Newly unrolled leaf, adaxial: Usually greener and slightly darker than 146A with various amounts of purplish anthocyanin coloration along margin, on midrib and primary veins. Newly unrolled leaf, abaxial: Between 148A and 148B with fine line of purplish anthocyanin coloration along margin and various amounts of anthocyanin coloration on midrib and primary veins. Mature leaf, adaxial: Similar to 147A. Midrib and primary veins lighter (approximately 146A) with some purplish anthocyanin coloration near petiole juncture. Mature leaf, abaxial: Similar to 146B with a fine line of purplish anthocyanin coloration along margin. Midrib between 144B and 146D near petiole juncture; distally slightly darker, usually with increasing amounts of purplish anthocyanin coloration near apex. Some anthocyanin coloration usually present on primary veins near petiole juncture.

Inflorescence arrangement. Most spathes with spadices held above foliage. Most spadices in approximately straight line with peduncle.

Flowering. Very abundant and year-round. Starts flowering naturally in 15-cm containers about 11 months after planting tissue culture-produced microcuttings. At 15 months about 11.0 inflorescences per plant, including buds.

Spathe longevity. Exceptionally good. In spring spathe maintains color and gloss for approximately 3 months following bud appearance; after 4 months spathe still retains its ornamental value with various proportions between red and brownish and/or greenish color.

Peduncle. Size: About 25.3 cm long, about 3.0 mm in diameter immediately below spathe. About 1.5 mm of peduncle between spathe and spadix base in front.

Color. Mature inflorescence, front: Between 146A and 144A near base. Amount of purplish anthocyanin coloration increases distally. Approximately 42A immediately below spathe base. Mature inflorescence, back: Betweeen 144A, 146A and 146B near the base. Amount of purplish anthocyanin coloration increases distally. Approximately 45A immediately below spathe base. With age portions of peduncles above foliage often become brownish purple.

Botanical flower. Perianth: Perianth of an individual flower appears on the spadix surface as almost a diamond shape, about 2.5 mm long and 2 mm wide. Pistil: About 2.0 mm long and about 1.0 mm in diameter; protrudes fraction of a mm beyond perianth; cream-colored, translucent. Stigma small. Stamens: About 1.1 mm long and 0.9 mm wide; cream-colored, translucent; flat; firmly pressed against pistil. Do not protrude beyond perianth until pollen dehiscence. Pollen: Aging inflorescences produce small amounts of whitish pollen. Fragrance: Relatively strong, rather unpleasant.

Fruit. Sometimes a few fruits spontaneously form on a spadix. Ripe fruit is ovoid, about 5 mm long and 3.5 mm wide. Color varies between different combinations of 163A, 163B, 28A, 28B and 26A.

Seed. One seed per fruit. Seeds are ovoid, about 3 mm long and 2 mm wide.

Disease and insect resistance: Plants of Valentine , which are grown in commercial greenhouses, have not shown any unusual susceptibility to pathogens or insects common to Anthurium. In the greenhouse test plants of Valentine have demonstrated high degree of resistance to Xanthomonas campestris pv. dieffenbachiae.