<i>Agave </i>plant named ‘Sabertooth Tiger’

Abstract

A new and unique Agave plant named ‘Sabertooth Tiger’ characterized by dense, low, mounded plant habit of short, obovate, variegated leaves having wide creamy-white centers with green margins. The leaves have firm, sharp large-sized marginal teeth positioned on the distal apical region and show occasional imprints from marginal spines of leaves above or below. The marginal teeth curve upwardly and toward shoot apex. The apical spine is long, firm and sharp. The plant is useful in the landscape as a specimen, en masse, or also in a container in the home or landscape.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental Agave plant named ‘Sabertooth Tiger’ as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The photograph of the new plant demonstrates the overall appearance of the new plant including the unique traits as a one-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.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a top view of the new plant in a container with new unfurling foliage and marginal teeth and apical spines.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a side view of the new plant in a container.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a comparison of the ‘MSWNStarr1’ (on the right) with the new plant (on the left).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(5) 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 ‘Sabertooth Tiger’, 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 one-year-old plant in a commercial wholesale greenhouse in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental water and fertilizer as needed. Botanical classification: Agave titanota; Variety denomination: ‘Sabertooth Tiger’; Sport parentage: Uninduced whole-plant sport of Agave ‘MSWNStarr1’; Propagation: Shoot tip tissue culture; Time to initiate roots: About 30 days; Growth rate: Moderate to slow; Crop time: About 12 months to finish in a 3.8 liter container from an established offset; Rooting habit: Fleshy, lightly branching, with roots up to 12 cm long; Root color: Nearest RHS NN155B; Plant shape and habit: Herbaceous tender perennial with basal rosettes of broad, variegated, densely whorled leaves emerging from central base, producing a low dense symmetrical mound; Plant size: Foliage height about 12.0 cm tall from soil line to the top of the leaves and about 14.0 cm wide at the widest point slightly above soil line when grown in containers; Stem: Compressed; about 3.0 cm long; completely covered with leaves; Foliage description: Obovate; simple; sarcous; abruptly acute apex ending in medium-length stiff spine; truncate sessile base; marginal, upwardly and backwardly-pointing, sharp, stiff spines in distal portion; glabrous, scabrous and slightly glaucous adaxial and abaxial; attitude mostly outwardly; Number of leaves: About 25 per plant; Leaf size: To about 6.8 cm long, 5.0 cm wide near apex, 3.8 cm wide near base and 1.0 cm thick near base; average 6.5 cm long, 4.5 cm wide near apex, 3.6 cm wide at base and 0.8 mm thick near base; Leaf variegation dimensions: Adaxial margin to 20.0 mm wide near apex and tapering to about 10.0 mm near apex; abaxial margin to about 13.0 mm near apex and tapering to about 7.0 mm wide at base; adaxial and abaxial intermediate zone not apparent at one-year of age; adaxial center to about 22.0 mm wide near middle; abaxial center to about 33.0 mm cm wide near middle; with irregular narrow longitudinal stripes of green extending various random lengths into the creamy-white center zone and narrow creamy-white longitudinal stripes of various random lengths extending into the green margins of mostly on adaxial and rarely on abaxial; Foliage fragrance: None observed; Leaf blade color: Expanding young adaxial.—Margin a blend between RHS 138A and RHS 146B, center variable between nearest RHS 4D distally and proximally between RHS 4D and RHS 155A. Expanding young abaxial.—Margin a blend between RHS 138A and RHS 146B, center variable between nearest RHS 4D distally and proximally between RHS 4D and RHS 155A. Mature adaxial.—Margin nearest RHS NN137A with slight glaucous bloom nearest RHS N138C, center nearest a blend between RHS 4D and RHS 155A. Mature abaxial.—Margin nearest RHS NN137C with slight glaucous bloom nearest RHS N138C, center nearest a blend between RHS 4D and RHS 155A. Apical spine: Stiff and sharp; to about 10.0 mm long, about 1.0 mm across at base; Apical spine color: Between RHS N199A and RHS 200A; Marginal teeth: Sharply pointed; typically three on each side on apical portion only; stiff; pointing upwardly and slightly curved toward shoot apex; to about 9.0 mm long and about 3.0 mm wide at base; average about 10.0 mm apart; Marginal teeth color: On young emerging and mature leaves a blend of nearest RHS 156C and RHS 158B; Petiole: Sessile; Veins: Absent; Flower description: Flowers have not yet been observed; Fruit and seed: Have not yet been observed; Disease resistance: Agave ‘Sabertooth Tiger’ 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. Hardy in frost-free areas. Full extent of winter hardiness has not been tested.