Horticulture Digest #99
'ALII' AND 'RUDOLPH' ANTHURIUM

Evaluation of two anthurium selections with cooperating growers in East Hawaii was completed. UH908 with light red spathe was named 'Alii,' and UH965 with white spathe and red spadix was named 'Rudolph'. The characteristics of the cultivars are given in Table 1.

• 'Alii' (UH908)
• 'Rudolph' (UH965)

'Alii' (UH908)

'Alii' originated from a cross between UH515 and 'Paradise Pink' made on May 28, 1978. The seedling was selected on July 28, 1980 for observation and evaluation and placed in aseptic culture in 1983. Tissue-cultured plantlets were transferred to cooperat ors for advance testing in 1985. Unfortunately, this selection is susceptible to bacterial blight, and most of the plants originally tested with cooperators succumbed to the disease.

More recently, one of the cooperators has been re-evaluating this selection in a plastic covered house. Bacterial blight of 'Alii' under the moisture-controlled greenhouse was greatly minimized. Also, several young plants started from presumably bacteri a-free tissue-cultured plants have been performing relatively well under saran shade.

The major attributes of 'Alii' are (Table 1):

• attractive, large, light red spathe
• high yield of about 7 flowers per plant per year
• resistant to anthracnose
• internodes are short.

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'Rudolph' (UH965)

'Rudolph' has many cultivars in its pedigree that are common to 'Alii'. It was originally selected on January 27, 1981 from a cross made on April 15, 1978. After a period of evaluation, it was placed in aseptic culture in 1985 for advance testing. Tissue- cultured plantlets were transferred to cooperators in 1989. The performance of this selection has been satisfactory.

The major attribute of this cultivar is (Table 1):

• attractive white spathe with a contrasting red spadix
• yield, like 'Alii', is excellent
• it is resistant to anthracnose
• flower stem is straight and sturdy, and the internodes are short.

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