<i>Eucomis </i>plant named ‘Purple Reign’

Abstract

A new and distinct Eucomis plant named ‘Purple Reign’ with rounded-mound habit of glossy, lanceolate, arching leaves emerging deep burgundy-colored and transitioning to olive green with burgundy tinting while flowering. Freely flowering beginning in mid-summer with individual racemes lasting for about four weeks, the plants produce racemes of medium height with densely arranged flowers of blush-pink upon opening and becoming deep mauve with maturity. ‘Purple Reign’ is winter-hardy to USDA zone 6 and useful as a specimen landscape plant, en masse, as a container plant or as a cut flower.

Claims

1. A new and distinct ornamental Eucomis plant named ‘Purple Reign’ as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The photographs of ‘Purple Reign’ demonstrate the overall appearance of the new plant, including the unique traits grown in full-sun trial gardens 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 variations in color.

(2) FIG. 1 shows the plant habit of an eight-year-old plant in early flower.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flowering scape with buds and rosy-pink flowers.

(4) FIG. 3 shows the emerging foliage with rich burgundy coloration.

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, Eucomis ‘Purple Reign’, 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 an eight-year-old plant in a full-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental water and fertilizer. Botanical classification: Eucomis hybrid; Parentage: H9-06-02 as the female parent, and the male parent is H9-17-10; Propagation: Leaf accessions, separation of the bulbs, and tissue culture of bulblets; Time to initiate bulblets from leaf accessions: about three months during the winter growing season; Growth rate: Moderate; Crop time: About two growing seasons to produce flowering-size bulbs from a 25 mm liner; Rooting habit: Normal, fleshy, lightly branching; color between RHS NN155D and RHS 158A depending on soil type and root age; Plant shape and habit: Hardy herbaceous perennial with basal rosette of leaves emerging from about nine bulbs producing a more or less symmetrical, rounded-mound of leaves and eight upright racemes of compact flowers with a small topknot of leaves; Plant size: Foliage height to about 37 cm above soil line to the top of the leaves and about 100 cm wide at the widest point slightly above the soil line; Bulb: Turbinate; tunicate; about 5.5 cm diameter and 3.5 cm tall; color variable with portions nearest RHS NN155C and other portions between RHS 175A and RHS 175B; Foliage description: About eight per bulb; acaulescent arising from bulb; linear; glabrous, lustrous abaxial and adaxial; lanceolate, with narrowly acute apex and truncate clasping base; margin finely serrulate; outer blades generally flat, to navicular inner blades; without twisting; arcuate with maturity; Leaf blade size: To about 64 cm long, 6.5 cm wide near base; average about 55 cm long, 5.8 cm wide; Leaf blade color: Early emerging adaxial center midrib nearest RHS N79A, sides nearest RHS 138C heavily maculate to solid RHS N187A, emerging abaxial midrib nearest RHS N186C sides nearest RHS 187A, and basal adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS NN155B; mature adaxial between RHS 147A and RHS 146A with variable blushing of nearest RHS 187B, mature abaxial nearest RHS 146A with faint blushing of nearest RHS 187B and maculate with spots of about 1.0 mm diameter nearest RHS N186B concentrated toward base; Veins: Parallel, not discernable; with fleshy, thick, glabrous, and lustrous midrib; Veins color: Emerging and mature not obvious, same colors as surrounding leaf tissue; emerging adaxial midrib nearest RHS N186B, mature abaxial midrib blend between RHS NN137B and RHS 146B with a faint blush of nearest RHS 187B; Topknot: With nine to twelve small leaves at apex of raceme; to about 25 mm tall and 35 mm wide; topknot leaves lanceolate with acute apex and truncate base, margin entire; cupped; leaves average about 20 mm long and 10 mm wide; Topknot leaf color: Adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS 146A with the margin and variable spotting nearest RHS 187A; Inflorescence: Raceme; flowers radially arranged, non-secund; flowering portion about 29 cm long and 8 cm wide; racemes effective for about four weeks beginning late July in Michigan landscape, or about two to three weeks as a cut flower depending on storage conditions; remontant through summer and into early fall; about 70 to 80 flowers per raceme; Buds one day prior to opening: Ellipsoidal with rounded apex and base; 10 mm long and about 6 mm diameter; Bud color: Nearest blend between RHS 176D and RHS 152A; Flowers: Perfect; single; regular; actinomorphic; rotate; persistent; attitude outwardly to slightly upright; about 25 mm wide and 12 mm long, decreasing distally; individually persist for about four to six weeks; Flower fragrance: Faintly sweet; Tepal: Six; fleshy; lanceolate; glabrous and lustrous adaxial and abaxial; margin entire; acute apex and truncate base; approximately 13 mm long and about 4 mm wide toward apex; Tepal color: Upon opening — adaxial distal portion between RHS 186A and RHS N186D, proximal portion between RHS N155B and RHS NN155D, abaxial nearest RHS N86D; mature flower — adaxial between RHS N77D and RHS 186B, abaxial between RHS N77D and RHS 186B; Gynoecium: Single; tri-carpelled; 10 mm long; exserted; Style.—Single; cylindrical; approximately 4 mm long, 1 mm diameter at base; color nearest N186C. Stigma.—Flattened; about 0.5 mm across; color nearest RHS NN187D. Ovary.—Superior; globose; about 5 mm long and 4 mm diameter; acute apex and truncate base; color between RHS N79B and RHS N79C. Androecium: Filaments.—Typically, six; adnate to inner corolla and connate in basal 3 mm; cylindrical distally and flattened at base; approximately 9 mm long and 2 mm wide at base; color nearest RHS 187B. Anthers.—Oblong; dorsifixed; longitudinal; about 4 mm long and 2 mm wide; color nearest RHS 8D. Pollen.—Abundant; elliptic, less than 0.1 mm long; color nearest RHS 4B. Peduncle: Terete; usually one per mature division and eight per plant; lustrous, glabrous; upwardly; to about 73 cm tall, and about 18 mm in diameter at base; average about 68 cm long and 15 mm diameter; Peduncle color: When first flowering nearest RHS 187A, as seed matures developing undertone of nearest RHS 152B; Pedicel: Glabrous; lustrous; cylindrical; slightly upwardly; approximately 26 mm long and 2 mm diameter; Pedicel color: Between RHS 148A and 148B strongly blushed to nearly solid nearest RHS 187B; Foliar bract: Each flower subtended by a single bract, deltoid; acute apex; truncate clasping base; entire margin; to about 13 mm long and 7 mm across base; adaxial and abaxial color nearest RHS 146D with blushing of nearest RHS 187B; Fruit: Tri-lobed; with acute apex and truncate base; tri-valved dehiscent capsule; about 12 mm long and 16 mm across; color as maturing nearest RHS 187A; Seed: Ellipsoidal; about 3.5 mm long and 2.5 mm wide; color nearest RHS 202A; Disease and pest tolerance and resistance: The new plant has not shown any resistance to pests and diseases common to Pineapple Lilies. Other disease resistance is typical of that of other Eucomis. Growth: The plant grows best and shows best coloration with plenty of moisture, adequate drainage and full sun. Winter hardiness has been tested in USDA zone 6 with excellent survivability.