<i>x Mangave </i>plant named ‘Aztec King’

Abstract

A new and unique x Mangave plant named Aztec King characterized by a large mound of large, broad, fleshy, longitudinally-folded, glaucous-green foliage that is outwardly and cascading toward tips with age, with fine marginal teeth and with large greyed-purple spots that intensify from with greater ultraviolet light exposure. The new plant is suitable for the garden or as a potted plant in the garden or home.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental x Mangave plant named Aztec King as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The photograph of x Mangave Aztec King demonstrates the overall appearance of the new plant including the unique traits of the new plant 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 new plant as a four-year-old grown in a greenhouse.

(3) FIG. 2 shows the new plant as a six-year-old grown in a greenhouse followed by a season in a full sun trial garden.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a close-up of the foliage of a four-year-old grown in a greenhouse.

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, x Mangave Aztec King, 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 six-year old plant in a full-sun trial garden having been grown during the fall through spring in a commercial wholesale greenhouse in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental water and fertilizer as needed. Parentage: An cross between a proprietary unreleased hybrid known only by the breeder code x Mangave PDN#9 as the female or seed parent times an unnamed selection of Agave ovatifolia (not patented) as the male or pollen parent; Propagation: By sterile shoot-tip tissue culture; Time to initiate roots from tissue culture: About 21 to 28 days; Growth rate: Moderate; Crop time: About 20 to 24 weeks to finish in a 3.8 liter container from a 35 mm tissue culture growing at about 21 C.; Rooting habit: Fleshy, lightly branching, with roots up to 40 cm long; Root color: Nearest RHS 158C; Plant shape and habit: Succulent herbaceous perennial with basal rosettes of about 48 leaves radially emerging outwardly from central stem and arching distally, producing a radially-symmetrical, rounded mound; Plant size: Foliage height about 70.0 cm tall from soil line to the top of the leaves and about 116.0 cm wide at the widest point slightly below soil line in container; Foliage description: Lanceolate; simple; sessile; sarcous; bi-laterally symmetrical; apex acute with terminal spine; terminal spine to about 12.0 mm long; base truncate; longitudinally conduplicate, especially young leaves; margins finely dentate with teeth slightly curved toward stem; glaucous waxy bloom abaxial and adaxial without trichomes; with adaxial spots about 10.0 mm long to 5.0 mm wide frequently touching or overlapping and abaxial spots to 5.0 mm long and 4.0 mm wide; Teeth: Initially flexible, becoming hard and sharp with age; about 1.5 mm long and about 2.0 mm wide at base; average about 6.0 mm apart in middle of mature leaves and about 2.0 mm apart near base; Leaf size: To about 69.0 cm long, about 14.0 cm wide toward middle, about 5.0 cm deep and 2.0 cm thick near base; average about 64.0 cm long, 12.0 cm wide and 2.0 mm thick; Foliage fragrance: None observed; Leaf number: About 48 per plant; Leaf blade color: Adaxial (young).Nearest RHS 137C with spots nearest RHS N187B to RHS 187B in low ultraviolet light intensifying with high ultraviolet exposure to nearest RHS N187A. Abaxial (young).Nearest RHS 137C with spots nearest RHS N187B to RHS 187B in low ultraviolet light intensifying with high ultraviolet exposure to nearest RHS N187A. Adaxial (mature).Between RHS 146D and RHS 147C with spots intensifying with ultraviolet light exposure nearest RHS N187A. Abaxial (mature).Nearest RHS 138A and spots to nearest RHS N187A. Teeth.Beginning nearest RHS 161D and maturing to between RHS 166A and RHS 166B. Terminal spine color.On young emerging leaves between RHS N163A and RHS 169A, on mature leaves nearest RHS 200A. Petiole: Leaves sessile; Veins: Parallel; not distinct abaxial or adaxial; Flower description: Not yet observed to date; Fruit and seed not observed to date; Disease resistance: x Mangave Aztec King has not been observed to be resistant 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 cold hardy at least from USDA zone 9. Full extent of winter hardiness has not been tested.