X <i>mangave </i>plant named ‘Praying Hands’

Abstract

A new and unique X Mangave plant named ‘Praying Hands’ characterized by habit that is rounded, mounded, with lanceolate foliage. The overall shape is globose as it develops and becomes tear-drop to pyriform-shaped in maturity. The numerous, dark, olive-green, lanceolate leaves have large, firm, deep wine-colored apical mucro, and few, small, widely-spaced marginal teeth. Leaf bases are outwardly and then become upwardly in the middle and strongly introrse toward the apices. Leaves are dark olive-green with small light wine spotting and thin deep wine-colored margins. The new plant is suitable as a potted houseplant plant, as a container plant for the patio or garden and for the garden or planted in the landscape.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental X Mangave plant named ‘Praying Hands’ as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The photograph of the new plant demonstrates the overall appearance of ‘Praying Hands’ including the unique traits as a four-year-old plant grown in a full-sun trial garden 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.

(2) FIG. 1 shows the habit of the new plant from the side.

(3) FIG. 2 shows the habit of the new plant from above.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(4) 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 ‘Praying Hands’, 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 four-year-old plants in a commercial wholesale greenhouse and in a full-sun display garden in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental water and fertilizer as needed. Botanical classification: x Mangave hybrid (Manfreda x Agave); Parentage: ‘Bloodspot’ as the female or seed parent and Agave ocahui PDN #7 as the male or pollen parent; Propagation: Sterile plant tissue culture; Time to initiate roots from tissue culture: About 28 days; Growth rate: Moderate; Crop time: About 20 to 24 weeks to finish during lengthening spring days from an established 25 mm tissue culture plug to a 65 mm diameter container; Rooting habit: Fleshy, lightly branching, with roots up to 35 cm long and typically 3.0 mm diameter; Root color: Nearest RHS 155D; Plant shape and habit: Succulent herbaceous perennial with basal rosettes of up to about 100 fleshy leaves emerging outwardly from short stem and arching upwardly and introrse toward apices, producing a symmetrical, rounded, globose, mound; Plant size: Foliage height about 26.0 cm tall from soil line to the top of the leaves and 30.0 cm wide at about 12 cm above soil level; Foliage description: Lanceolate; simple; sarcous; glabrous; fibrous; moderately lustrous adaxial and abaxial; margins smooth in distal two-thirds and dentate with small short teeth in proximal one-third; apex acute with long firm mucro; base truncate, sessile, clasping; flat surface; curved outwardly near base and upwardly and introrse toward apex; Leaf size: To about 20.0 cm long, about 3.5 cm wide in the widest portion about one-third from base, basal portion flared to about 4.0 cm wide at attachment, about 2.0 cm wide about 3.0 cm from base and 1.5 cm thick at base; Marginal teeth: Flattened top to bottom; very small, about 0.5 mm long and 1.0 mm wide; proximally concentrated, to about 5.0 to 15.0 mm apart; distally void; Foliage fragrance: None observed; Leaf blade color: Adaxial (lower ultraviolet exposure).—Young between RHS 138B and RHS N138B without significant spotting; mature between RHS 137B and RHS N138B without significant spotting. Abaxial (lower ultraviolet exposure).—Young between RHS 138B and RHS 137B without significant spotting; mature between RHS N137C and RHS N138B with subtle lightly-blushed spotting of nearest RHS N187A. Adaxial (higher ultraviolet exposure).—Young and mature nearest RHS N138B distally and the base between RHS 145A and RHS 146D, without significant spotting. Abaxial (higher ultraviolet exposure).—Young and mature nearest RHS 138A with small spots to about 6 mm diameter of between RHS N186B and RHS N187B. Marginal teeth color.—Young adaxial and abaxial between RHS 166A and RHS 175A, while leaf still enrolled nearest RHS 187A, mature adaxial between RHS 166A and RHS 176A, mature abaxial between RHS 198C and RHS NN155D. Mucro: Firm; sharp; straight, about 21.0 mm long and 4.0 mm across at base; Mucro color: Young variable, between RHS 181A, RHS 183A and RHS 187B; mature between RHS 198C and RHS NN155D; Petiole: Sessile; Veins: Parallel; not distinct; Flower description: Flowers not yet observed; Fruit: Not yet observed; Seed: Not yet observed; Disease resistance: x Mangave ‘Praying Hands’ has not been observed to be resistant or susceptible to diseases common to other x Mangave beyond that which is normal for Agave or Manfreda. The plant is xeromorphic and survives well with minimal water once established. Hardiness at least from USDA zone 9 to 11. Full extent of winter hardiness has not been tested.