Hort Digest #104 'Kalapana', 'Tropic Ice', and 'Tropic Mist' Anthurium

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Horticulture Digest
Date Last Edited: 08/24/2001

Hawaii Cooperative Extension Service

Horticulture Digest #104
'KALAPANA', 'TROPIC ICE', AND 'TROPIC MIST' ANTHURIUM

Three anthurium selections, UH1016, UH1051, and UH780, were named 'Kalapana', 'Tropic Ice', and 'Tropic Mist' respectively. 'Kalapana' represents the first anthurium cultivar to be patented by the University of Hawaii.

'Kalapana' (UH1016)
'Tropic Ice' (UH1051)
'Tropic Mist' (UH780)

'Kalapana' (UH1016)

'Kalapana' was selected on April 10, 1983 from a cross made on September 1, 1980 between 'Diamond Jubilee' and 'Paradise Pink'. It is:

an attractive red-green, medium-sized obake about 7 l/2'' long and 7 l/2'' wide.
a vigorous grower, producing about 6 flowers per plant per year.
has a spathe is carried on long flower stems well above the foliage.
is resistant to anthracnose and tolerant to the systemic phase of bacterial blight (Table 1a).

An application for patenting 'Kalapana' was made to the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks in Washington D.C. on May 31, 1991, and the patent was approved on March 9, 1993. Subsequently, the Office of Technology Transfer and Economic Development, University of Hawaii, executed a License Agreement with the Hawaii Anthurium Industry Association on January 31, 1994 to propagate and distribute 'Kalapana' to anthurium growers for commercial use.

Table 1a. Characteristics of 'Kalapana' Anthurium.


Characteristics     'Kalapana'

Spathe

Size and Shape      Broad heart-shaped obake, 7" long, 7" wide,
                    lobes touching slightly, carried 70-90°
                    from peduncle.

Color               Red (RHSCC* 45C) with green lobes.

Spadix

Size and Shape      2-3/4" long, 1/2" in diameter, curved
                    downward.

Color               Yellow-orange to orange-red.

Anthracnose         Resistant.

Flower Stem         Long & erect, carrying the spathe well
                    above the foliage, about 25" long, 1/4" in
                    diameter.

Yield               6.0 flowers per year.

Vase Life**         20.5 days.

Leaf
     Blade          Heart-shape, 13" long, 7" wide.

     Petiole        20" long.

Internode           Intermediate.

Sucker Production   High.

Bacterial Blight    Tolerant.

* Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.
**Includes 3 days of simulated packing.

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'Tropic Ice' (UH1051)

'Tropic Ice' (UH1051) was selected on February 27, 1979 from a cross made on March 16, 1976 between 'Anuenue' and UH515. Its characteristics are described in Table 1b. It is:

an attractive white-green, small-sized obake with vase life of about 42 days.
is compact with small leaves and produces about 9 flowers per plant per year.
has a spathe carried on a straight peduncle well above the foliage.

'Tropic Ice' is especially desirable because of its high yield, excellent vase life, resistance to anthracnose, and tolerance to bacterial blight. It also makes an attractive flowering potted plant. Mother flasks of micropropagated 'Tropic Ice' were rele ased to the Hawaii Anthurium Industry Association in 1989 concurrently with the initiation of advanced testing with cooperating growers.

Table 1b. Characteristics of 'Tropic Ice' Anthurium.


Characteristics     'Tropic Ice'

Spathe

Size and Shape      About 6" long, 4 1/2" wide, open lobes,
                    carried about 90° from peduncle.

Color               White with green usually restricted to the
                    periphery.

Spadix

Size and Shape      2" long, 3/8" in diameter, curved
                    downward.

Color               Yellow.

Anthracnose         Resistant.

Flower Stem         15" long, erect, carrying the spathe well
                    above the foliage.

Yield               8.7 flowers per year.

Vase Life**         41.8 days.

Leaf
     Blade          Heart-shape, 7" long, 4" wide, leathery.

     Petiole        12" long.

Internode           Short.

Sucker Production   Moderate.

Bacterial Blight    Tolerant.

* Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.
**Includes 3 days of simulated packing.

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'Tropic Mist' (UH780)

UH780 was selected on January 16, 1978 from a cross made on January 29, 1975 between 'Manoa Mist' and 'Sea Pearl'. Due to the lack of suitable white cultivars for commercial cropping, we decided in January, 1984 to place UH780 in tissue culture for advanc e testing with cooperating growers.

In 1987 plantlets were sent to the University Experiment Station in Waiakea. At the same time some cultures in flasks were "early released" to the Hawaii Anthurium Industry Association. Plants in individual pots were transferred to cooperating growers in March 1990 for observation and evaluation. Finally in 1993 the tests were terminated and the selection was named 'Tropic Mist'.

The characteristics of 'Tropic Mist' are given in Table 1c. Distinctive features are the round cream-colored spathe carried at 30° to 45° from the flower stem. Due to the vertical orientation of the spathe, flowers escape damage from rain and al so may be packed densely.

Table 1c. Characteristics of 'Tropic Mist' Anthurium.


Characteristics     'Tropic Mist'

Spathe

Size and Shape      About 6" long, 6" wide, broad heart-shape,
                    symmetrical, carried about 45° from peduncle.

Color               Cream (RHSCC* 158D).

Spadix

Size and Shape      3 1/4" long, 1/2" in diameter, curved
                    downward.

Color               Yellow.

Anthracnose         Intermediate Resistance.

Flower Stem         Long, sturdy, carrying the spathe well above
                    the foliage, about 27" long, 1/4" in diameter.

Yield               6.1 flowers per year.

Vase Life**         24.5 days.

Leaf
     Blade          Heart-shape, 12" long, 7" wide.
     Petiole        18" long.

Internode           Intermediate.

Sucker Production   Low.

Bacterial Blight    Moderately tolerant.

* Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.
**Includes 3 days of simulated packing.

H. Kamemoto, haruyuki@hawaii.edu
A. R. Kuehnle, heidi@hawaii.edu
J. T. Kunisaki, jkunisak@hawaii.edu
M. Aragaki, J. S. Lichty, and T. D. Amore

Dept. of Horticulture

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