U.S. patent number PP33,630 [Application Number 16/873,809] was granted by the patent office on 2021-11-09 for x mangave plant named `center of attention`.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Walters Gardens, Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is Hans A Hansen. Invention is credited to Hans A Hansen.
United States Patent |
PP33,630 |
Hansen |
November 9, 2021 |
X Mangave plant named `Center of Attention`
Abstract
A new and unique x Mangave plant named `Center of Attention`
characterized by a short, rounded mound of fleshy, linear to
lanceolate leaves that are flat and mostly straight with light
greyed green to greyed-purple and a central band of burgundy-red,
margins develop glaucous, dark greyed-purple spotting with intense
light. The leaves have numerous medium-sized, firm but flexible
marginal teeth distally pointing outwardly and pointing backward in
proximal region. Flowers are yellowish and clustered in terminal
branches of erect scapes. The new plant is suitable for the garden
or as a potted plant in the garden or home.
Inventors: |
Hansen; Hans A (Zeeland,
MI) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hansen; Hans A |
Zeeland |
MI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Walters Gardens, Inc. (Zeeland,
MI)
|
Family
ID: |
78467221 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/873,809 |
Filed: |
July 14, 2020 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
PLT/373 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01H
6/12 (20180501) |
Current International
Class: |
A01H
5/12 (20180101); A01H 6/12 (20180101) |
Field of
Search: |
;PLT/373 |
Primary Examiner: Bell; Kent L
Claims
It is claimed:
1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental x Mangave plant named
`Center of Attention` as herein described and illustrated.
Description
Botanical classification: x Mangave hybrid.
Variety denomination: `Center of Attention`.
STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(B)(6)
The first public disclosures of the claimed plant, in the form of
private sales, were made by Walters Gardens, Inc. on Oct. 22, 2019
to Plant Delights Nursery, Inc. followed by a sale to San Marcos
Growers on Nov. 11, 2019. Plants for these sales were obtained from
the inventor. Subsequently, on Mar. 3, 2020, Walters Gardens, Inc.
posted on their website a non-enabling photograph with brief
description. Information for this website was obtained from the
inventor. No plants of x Mangave `Center of Attention` have been
sold, in this country or anywhere in the world nor has any
disclosure of the new plant been made more than one year prior the
filing date of this application, and such sale or disclosure within
one year was obtained either derived directly or indirectly from
the inventor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the new and distinct x Mangave
hybrid plant, x Mangave `Center of Attention` that was hybridized
by the inventor at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich.,
USA as a cross between a proprietary selection of Agave nizandensis
(not patented) as the female or seed parent times and an unreleased
proprietary hybrid known as 12-3-31 (not patented) as the male or
pollen parent. The cross was performed Jun. 27, 2015 and seeds were
harvested and sown in the autumn of 2015. Through trials at the
same nursery the plant was assigned the breeder code 15-194-6. The
new plant has been successfully asexually propagated by sterile
shoot-tip tissue culture and by basal offsets at the same nursery
in Zeeland, Mich. The asexual tissue culture propagation has been
found to produce stable and identical plants that maintain all the
unique characteristics of the original plant in successive
generations.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`Center of Attention` differs from its parents as well as all other
Manfreda, Agave and x Mangave known to the applicant. The female
parent has fewer leaves per plant, narrower leaves with
medium-green on the margins and lighter green in the center and
lacks the dark greyed-purple spotting and the glaucous surfaces.
The male parent has more wavy, wider leaves with larger teeth and
the habit is more upright with more leaves per plant. The nearest
comparison plants are: `Blazing Saddles` U.S. Plant Pat. No.
31,274, `Desert Dragon` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,311, `Painted
Desert` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,630 and `Racing Stripes` U.S. Plant
Pat. No. 31,251. `Blazing Saddles` has shorter and narrower leaves
that produce larger spots of less dense reddish to greyed
reddish-purple spotting with more green background and lacks the
lighter midrib, and the foliage has less glaucous surface. `Desert
Dragon` has foliage that is more folded and sinuate and the center
midrib lacks the reddish purple coloration. `Painted Desert` has
less arching and more upright habit with flatter and narrower
leaves that have smaller teeth and the center midrib is more
chartreuse. `Racing Stripes` has narrower leaves that are more
green with lighter green midrib, firmer cinnamon-colored teeth, and
more spotting on the foliage.
`Center of Attention` is unique from all of the above cultivars and
all Agave, x Mangave and Manfreda known to the inventor by the
following combined traits: 1. Medium, linear to lanceolate, flat,
mostly straight, sarcous leaves; 2. Leaves develop large, dense,
dark greyed-purple spotting on a glaucous, light greyed- green to
greyed-purple background, and a central band of burgundy-red; 3.
Leaf margins have many, medium-sized, flexible, mostly
outwardly-facing, marginal teeth; 4. Moderate growth rate;
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The photographs of x Mangave `Center of Attention` demonstrate the
overall appearance of the new plant including the unique traits as
a two-year-old plant grown in a greenhouse and moved to a full-sun
trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. 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 new plant from the side angle.
FIG. 2 shows a view from above.
FIG. 3 shows a close-up of the flowers and buds.
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, x Mangave
`Center of Attention`, 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.
Parentage: A proprietary unnamed selection of Agave nizandensis as
the female or seed patent, an unreleased proprietary hybrid known
as 12-3-31 (Mangave `Bloodspot` (not patented) x a proprietary
selection of Agave gypsophila (not patented)) as the male or pollen
parent; Propagation: By sterile shoot-tip tissue culture; Time to
initiate roots from tissue culture: About 21 days; Growth rate:
Moderate; Crop time: About 14 to 18 weeks to finish in a 3.8 liter
container from a 35 mm tissue culture growing at about 21.degree.
C.; Rooting habit: Fleshy, lightly branching, with roots up to 30
cm long; Root color: Nearest RHS 158B; Plant shape and habit:
Succulent herbaceous perennial with basal rosettes of about 64
leaves radially emerging, stiff, mostly straight from central stem,
producing a radially-symmetrical, rounded mound; Plant size:
Foliage height about 30.0 cm tall from soil line to the top of the
leaves and about 76.0 cm wide at the widest point just above soil
level; Stem: To about 3.5 cm across; covered with foliage; Foliage
description: Linear to lanceolate; simple; sessile; bi-laterally
symmetrical; sarcous; apex narrowly acute with terminal mucro; base
truncate; older lower leaves becoming flat; mostly outwardly
pointing teeth curving backward in proximal portion; both adaxial
and abaxial glabrous and heavily glaucous; Mucro (apical spine):
About 8.0 mm long and 1.5 mm wide; flexible; Marginal teeth: Medium
size, firm, but flexible even when mature; protruding about 2.0 mm
long from margin and 2.0 mm wide at base, average spacing about 5.0
mm apart; Leaf size: To about 38.6 cm long, about 66.0 mm wide
toward middle; center base about 12.0 mm thick at basal midrib;
average about 36.5 cm long, 57.0 mm wide and 12.0 mm thick in
longitudinal center; spotted to blushed with greyed-purple near
stem on both adaxial and abaxial; Foliage fragrance: None observed;
Leaf number: About 64 per plant before flowering; Leaf blade color:
Adaxial (low light).--Young and mature leaves nearest RHS 137A
along margins, and between RHS 146B and RHS 146C along center
midrib, with spots on margin and center nearest a blend of N187B
and RHS 186B. Abaxial (low light).--Young and mature leaves margin
and center nearest RHS 144A, with occasional spots of nearest a
blend of N186B and RHS N186C and leaf base of nearest blend between
RHS N187B, RHS 187D and RHS 186D. Adaxial (high light).--Young and
mature leaf margins a blend between N186A and RHS N187A with an
occasional small spot about 2.0 mm diameter of nearest RHS 137A,
midrib distally nearest RHS N77B; center nearest a blend between
RHS N187C and RHS N77B. Abaxial (high light).--Young and mature
leaf margins and center a blend between N186A and RHS N187A with an
occasional small spot about 2.0 mm diameter of nearest RHS 137A,
midrib distally nearest RHS N77B. Teeth.--On young leaves adaxial
and abaxial nearest RHS 145A, mature leaves adaxial and abaxial
nearest RHS NN155C toward apex and base nearest RHS N186A.
Mucro.--Nearest RHS N200B. Petiole: Leaves sessile; Veins:
Parallel; not distinct abaxial or adaxial; Peduncle: Terete;
glaucous; glabrous; stiff; strong; lightly branched; about 170 cm
long and 28 mm diameter at base and 18.0 mm diameter below first
flowers; flowering portion about 87 cm tall and about 45 cm across;
branches to about 28 cm long and about 4 mm diameter at base;
attitude main peduncle erect and branches upward and outwardly;
Peduncle color: Basal portion before flowers nearest a blend
between RHS N186C and RHS 147A, flowering portion nearest a blend
between RHS 138A and RHS 147A; Pedicel: Terete; glaucous; glabrous;
stiff; strong; average about 2.5 mm long and 2.2 mm diameter;
Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 138A; Cauline leaves: About 17 per
scape; lanceolate; simple, fleshy, glabrous; margins finely dentate
with flexible teeth; apex narrowly acute with flexible mucro; base
truncate, sessile, clasping; proximally about 14 cm long and about
18 mm wide at base, decreasing distally; color adaxial and abaxial
nearest RHS N77B; Buds one day prior to opening: Elongated globose;
about 3.8 cm long and about 11.0 mm across at mid-tepal, base about
4.0 mm diameter; Bud color: Nearest RHS 138A in basal portion and
distally becoming nearest RHS 162A; Flower description: Perfect,
actinomorphic; about 6.5 cm long and opening to about 30 mm across
at outside of anthers; lasting about 3 to 4 days per flower;
flowering period about three weeks in late winter in Michigan
greenhouse; producing abundant nectar; forming in clusters near
distal ends of branches; approximately 200 flowers per scape;
attitude mostly upright; Flower fragrance: Not detected; Tepals:
Six in two sets of three; glaucous abaxial and slightly lustrous
adaxial; glabrous both adaxial and abaxial; acute apex and fused
base; outer set about 4.8 cm long, separated in the distal 16 mm,
fused in basal 3.2 cm, about 6.0 mm wide at base; inner set about
4.8 cm long, separated in distal 16 mm, fused in basal 3.2 cm, and
7.0 mm wide at fusion; inner set creased along edge where
overlapped with outer set while in bud; Tepal color: Adaxial outer
and inner tepal set base and distal portion nearest RHS 138A;
abaxial outer set base nearest RHS 138A with distal non-fused
portion nearest RHS 16A, abaxial inner set base nearest RHS 138A,
margin nearest RHS 16A and center nearest RHS 151B; inner and outer
sets becoming nearest RHS 21A distally with age adaxial and
abaxial; Androecium: Six; Filaments.--Six; terete distally,
slightly applanate base; stiff and straight; about 4.6 cm long and
1.0 mm diameter at base; color nearest RHS 1C. Anther.--Dorsifixed;
longitudinal; about 1.6 cm long and 2.0 mm diameter before opening;
after dehiscence remaining straight; color nearest RHS 4C.
Pollen.--Abundant; color nearest RHS 16A. Gynoecium: Single;
Style.--6.4 cm long and 2.0 mm diameter at base; color nearest RHS
4B. Stigma.--Turbinate, apex tri-lobed; about 2.5 mm tall and 3.5
mm across top; color side nearest RHS 4D; top stigmatic surface in
tri-pointed star with color nearest RHS 4D. Ovary.--Inferior. Fruit
and seed: Not yet observed; Disease resistance: x Mangave `Center
of Attention` has not been observed to be resistant or susceptible
to diseases beyond that which is normal for x Mangave, Agave or
Manfreda. The new plant is xeromorphic and survives well with
minimal water once established. The new plant is estimated to be
winter hardy at least to USDA zone 9. Full extent of winter
hardiness has not been tested.
* * * * *