U.S. patent number PP30,281 [Application Number 15/932,169] was granted by the patent office on 2019-03-05 for agave plant named `ripple effect`.
The grantee listed for this patent is Hans A Hansen. Invention is credited to Hans A Hansen.
United States Patent |
PP30,281 |
Hansen |
March 5, 2019 |
Agave plant named `Ripple Effect`
Abstract
A new and unique Agave plant named `Ripple Effect` characterized
by outright to horizontal plant habit of broadly-lanceolate,
slightly-cupped, variegated leaves having wide yellowish-cream
margins and contrasting bluish-green centers. The leaves have large
colorful marginal and apical spines. The plant is useful in the
landscape as a specimen, en masse, or also in a container in the
home or landscape.
Inventors: |
Hansen; Hans A (Zeeland,
MI) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hansen; Hans A |
Zeeland |
MI |
US |
|
|
Family
ID: |
65495771 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/932,169 |
Filed: |
February 14, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
PLT/373 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01H
6/12 (20180501); A01H 5/12 (20130101); A01H
5/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A01H
5/00 (20180101) |
Field of
Search: |
;PLT/373 |
Primary Examiner: Para; Annette H
Claims
I claim:
1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental Agave plant named
`Ripple Effect` as herein described and illustrated.
Description
Botanical classification: Agave.
Variety denomination: `Ripple Effect`.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the new and distinct Agave plant,
Agave `Ripple Effect` selected by the inventor at a perennial
nursery in Raleigh, N.C., USA as an uninduced whole-plant mutation
from a tissue cultured crop of Agave `Mr. Ripple` (not patented) in
the summer of 2011. The new plant has been successfully asexually
propagated by tissue culture at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. Shoot
tip tissue culture propagation systems have been found produce
stable and identical plants that maintain the unique
characteristics of the original plant.
No plants of Agave `Ripple Effect` have been sold, in this country
or anywhere in the world, prior to the filing of this application,
nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made prior to the
filing of this application with the except that which was disclosed
within one year of the filing of this application and was either
derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Agave `Ripple Effect` is a sport of `Mr. Ripple`. `Mr. Ripple` was
discovered east of Ciudad del Maiz in San Luis Potosi, Mexico in
2001 and is suspected of being either from the species A. salmaina
or a hybrid between A. salmiana and A. protomamericana. `Ripple
Effect` differs from its parent, `Mr. Ripple`, as well as all other
Agaves known to the applicant. The most similar known Agave
cultivars other than the parent are: Agave americana `Marshmallow
Cream` (not patented), Agave americana `Opal` (not patented).
`Marshmallow Cream` has much narrower foliage and the leaf margins
are more creamy white and the center more bluish-green. `Opal` has
narrower leaves with a narrower variegation and the leaf center is
more blue-green. Compared with Agave americana `Aureo-marginata`
(not patented) the new plant has shorter broader leaves with a
broader variegation. Agave salmiana `Butterfinger` (not patented)
has more upright habit, narrower leaves and the center of the
leaves is darker green.
Compared with `Mr. Ripple` the new plant has a broad yellowish
cream margin.
Agave `Ripple Effect` differs from all other Agaves known to the
applicant, by the combination of the following traits: 1. Foliage
with large, colorful, marginal spines protruding from broad
variegated leaves and leaving an imprint on the adaxial and abaxial
surfaces of other leaves; 2. Leaves have wide yellowish-cream
margins and contrasting bluish-green leaf centers; 3. Leaves have
slightly cupped shape; 4. Habit is mounded with mostly outright to
horizontal foliage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The photograph of the new plant demonstrates the overall appearance
of the new plant including the unique traits as a five-year old
plant grown in a container in a greenhouse with supplemental water
and fertilizer as needed. The colors are as accurate as reasonably
possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum,
temperature, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor
variation in color.
FIG. 1 shows the habit of the foliage of the whole plant.
FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the new plant in a container with new
unfurling foliage in the center displaying imprinting from marginal
spines of other leaves.
DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
The following descriptions and color references are based on the
2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except
where common dictionary terms are used. The new plant, Agave
`Ripple Effect`, has not been observed under all possible
environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different
environmental conditions, such as temperature, light, fertility,
moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the
genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are of a
three-year old plant in a commercial wholesale greenhouse in
Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental water and fertilizer as needed.
Botanical classification: Agave; Variety denomination: `Ripple
Effect`; Sport parentage: Uninduced whole-plant sport of Agave `Mr.
Ripple`; Propagation: Garden division and sterile plant tissue
culture; Time to initiate roots from tissue culture: About 21 days;
Growth rate: Moderate to slow; Crop time: About 20 weeks to finish
during the summer in a 3.8 liter container from an established 2.5
cm tissue culture plug; Rooting habit: Fleshy, lightly branching,
with roots up to 20 cm long; Root color: Nearest RHS 158C; Plant
shape and habit: Herbaceous tender perennial with basal rosettes of
slightly cupped, broad, variegated, whorled leaves emerging from
central base, producing a symmetrical outright to horizontal mound;
Plant size: Foliage height about 44.0 cm tall from soil line to the
top of the leaves and about 62.0 cm wide at the widest point about
just above soil line; Foliage description: Broadly lanceolate,
simple, fleshy; narrowly acute apex ending in long stiff spine;
truncate sessile base; margin with sharp stiff spines pointing
slightly outward in distal portion and backward in proximal
portion; slightly cupped with outer leaf edges curled upward;
glabrous and slightly glaucous abaxial and adaxial; attitude
outwardly to slightly upward; Number of leaves: About 44 per plant;
Leaf size: To about 35.0 cm long, 17.0 cm wide near middle and 22.0
mm thick near base; average 33.5 cm long, 15.5 cm wide near middle
and 20.0 thick near base; Leaf variegation dimensions: Adaxial
margin to 21.0 mm wide in longitudinal middle and tapering to about
2.0 mm near apex; abaxial margin to about 55.0 mm in longitudinal
middle and tapering to about 2.0 mm at apex; intermediate zone
between yellowish-cream margins and bluish-green center widest in
longitudinal center and not noticeable at abaxial surface or
adaxial base or apex, to about 19.0 mm wide in adaxial longitudinal
center; adaxial bluish-green center about 7.5 cm wide; abaxial
bluish-green center about 12.0 cm wide; with frequent longitudinal
stripes of bluish-green extending various random lengths into the
intermediate zone; Foliage fragrance: None observed; Stem: To about
6.0 cm wide and about 4.0 cm tall; covered with leaves; Leaf blade
color: Mature adaxial.--Margin blend between RHS 160A and RHS 11A,
center nearest blend between RHS 137A and RHS NN177A, intermediate
zone blend between RHS 138B and RHS 11A. Mature abaxial.--Margin
nearest blend between RHS 160A and RHS 11A, center nearest RHS
NN137A. Expanding young adaxial.--Margin nearest RHS 144B, center
nearest RHS 144A and intermediate zone between RHS 144B and RHS
N144B. Expanding young abaxial.--Margin nearest RHS 144B, center
nearest RHS 139A and intermediate zone nearest RHS 144A. Spine:
Apical spine to about 35.0 mm long; stiff and sharp; color base
nearest RHS 166A, middle and apex nearest RHS 183A; Marginal
spines: Sharply pointed; stiff; pointing slightly outward in distal
portion and backward in proximal portion; about 5.0 mm long and
about 12.0 mm apart; color nearest RHS 5D; Petiole: Sessile; Veins:
Absent; Flower description: Flowers have not yet been observed;
Fruit and seed: Have not yet been observed; Disease resistance:
Agave `Ripple Effect` has not been observed to be resistant to
diseases common to Agaves beyond that which is normal for Agave.
The plant is xeromorphic and survives well with minimal water once
established. Hardiness at least from USDA zone 9 to 10. Full extent
of winter hardiness has not been tested.
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