Download POTTED ANTHURIUM: Mi INTERIOR

Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 112:280-281. 1999.
POTTED ANTHURIUM: Mi INTERIOR-FLOWERING FOLIAGE PLANT
Jianjun Chen, Richard J. Henny, Cynthia A. Robinson,
Terri Mellich and Russell D. Caldwell
University of Florida, IFAS
Mid-Florida Research and Education Center
2725 Binion Road
Apopka, FL 32703
Additional index words. Postproduction performances, inte
rior plantscapes.
Abstract. With the recent release of compact interspecific hy
brids, Anthurium is projected to become more popular as a
flowering foliage plant. To document how different cultivars
perform under interior conditions, the postproduction perfor
mance of five finished Anthurium cultivars were evaluated in
interior rooms under two light intensities: 16jnmolm-2s-1 (100
foot candles as low light) and 48 jimol-m- 2-s1 (300 foot candles
as high light) for five months. Plant height and width, total
number of buds, open flowers, new and senesced leaves were
measured before and after plant placement in interior rooms.
Results showed that the monthly average numbers of new
leaves produced during the five-month period ranged from 1.2
to 5.4 under low light, and 2.2 to 4.8 under high light depending
on cultivars. Monthly average flower numbers varied from 1.4
to 4.7 under low light, and 2.4 to 4.9 under high light. Plant
quality remained excellent, leaves were dark green and shiny;
flowers were colorful and long lasting, suggesting that potted
Anthurium is a true interior-flowering foliage plant.
Traditionally, Anthurium has been grown primarily for cut
flowers (Kamemoto and Kuehnle, 1996; Paull, 1982; Paull et
al., 1985). The Netherlands is the world leader in cut Anthuri
um, producing an approximate 30 million stems annually
(Laws and Galinsky, 1996). With the introduction of compact
interspecific hybrids through breeding and the selection of
somaclonal variants, however, a series of potted Anthurium
cultivars have been released in Florida and Hawaii (Henny et
al., 1988; Henny, 1999; Kamemoto and Kuehnle, 1996). Flor
ida has now become a national leader in the production of
potted flowering Anthurium with more than 40 cultivars being
produced in 1999.
Attractive and colorful flowers contrasted with the deep
green, shiny and arrow-shaped leaves make potted Anthurium
perlite (by volume). The plants were produced in a shaded
greenhouse with a light level of 125 ujnol-m^s1 (660 foot can
dles) until blooming commenced.
Prior to interior evaluation, plant canopy height and two
canopy widths were measured. Canopy width to height ratio
was calculated based on an equation of (width 1 + width 2)/2
•*• height; width 1 equals to cm across at widest point and width
2 equals a measure at a 90° rotation from width 1. Total num
ber of leaves, buds and flowers were counted.
The plants were then placed into the interior rooms un
der two light levels: (1) 16 ^mol-m^s1 (100 foot candles as
low light) and (2) 48 iimol-m^s1 (300 foot candles as high
light) provided by cool-white fluorescent lamps. All interior
rooms were lighted 12 hours daily with a temperature range
of 21 to 24°C and a relative humidity of 50-60%. Plants were
fertilized once with a topdressing of 2 g per pot of an 8-month
formulation of Osmocote 17-7-12 and watered weekly.
Plant canopy height and width, numbers of new leaves
and old leaf senescence, and bud and flower counts were re
corded monthly after being placed in interior rooms. Flowers
showing any discoloration on either spadix or spathe were
considered senesced flowers and were not included in the
monthly flower counts (Paull, 1982).
Results and Discussion
All five cultivars continued to produce new leaves ranging
from 1.2 to 5.4 monthly under the low light and 2.2 to 4.8 un
der the high light over the five months indoors (Table 1). The
number of leaf senescence varied from 0.4 to 1.3 under the
low light and 0.5 to 1.5 under the high light. Flower bud num
bers ranged from 0.8 to 1.8 monthly under low light and 1.6
to 3.4 under high light depending on cultivars; monthly flow
er counts varied from 1.4 to 4.7 under low light and 2.4 to 4.9
under the high light (Table 2) Cultivars grown under high
light produced more leaves than those grown under low light,
and subsequently more buds and flowers appeared on the cul
tivars grown under high light (Dai and Paull, 1990). This
trend, however, did not apply to Red Hot. Red Hot adapted
well to the low light conditions and was able to produce over
five new leaves and maintain about four flowers monthly.
one of the best looking flowering foliage plants. How potted
Anthurium cultivars perform under interior conditions, how
ever, is still largely undocumented (Chen et al., 1999a; Henley
Table 1. Monthly new leaf production and leaf senescence of Anthurium cul
and Robinson, 1994). The objective of this study was to
tivars grown in interior rooms under two light levels for five months.
record the growth and development of selected Anthurium
Low light (16 jLlmol-m^s1)2
cultivars in interior conditions, and to evaluate quality of
these potted Anthurium cultivars as flowering foliage plants in
Leaves
Cultivar
interior use.
Materials and Methods
Two commercial cultivars: Julia and Red Hot, and three
hybrids: 46-6, 432-20 and 439-1 (hybrid code) were potted in
6" pots (15.2 cm) containing 60% Canadian peat and 40%
High light (48 fimol.nrV)
New leaves?
senesced"
Julia
2.0
Red Hot
5.4
46-6w
Leaves
New leaves
senesced
0.8
2.4
0.5
1.3
4.8
1.5
2.6
1.1
2.8
1.0
432-20
1.2
0.4
2.2
0.8
439-1
2.2
0.5
4.6
1.2
z100, 300 foot candles respectively.
^Average number of monthly new leaves.
"Average number of monthly leaves senesced.
Florida Agricultural Experiment Station Journal Series No. N-01810.
280
wHybrid code.
Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 112: 1999.
Table 2. Monthly average number of flowers and buds of Anthurium cuhivars
grown in interior rooms under two light levels for five months.
Low light (16 Jimol-m^-s1)2
Cultivar
Table 3. The ratio of canopy width to height of Anthurium cultivars grown in
interior rooms under two light levels for five months.2
High light (48 (imol-m-s1)
Low light
High light (48 jimol-nrV)
Flower^
Bud"
Flower
Bud
July 20x
Dec. 21W
Julia
1.4
1.1
2.4
2.0
Julia
1.63
4.0
3.4
2.33
Red Hot
1.67
1.62
1.88
2.00
1.68
1.71
1.67
1.74
1.60
1.92
1.70
Cultivar
Red Hot
4.7
1.8
46-6w
2.3
0.8
432-20
3.8
1.7
1.4
46-6v
1.1
1.61
439-1
2.8
2.4
2.2
432-20
1.4
4.9
1.18
1.6
439-1
1.56
z100, 300 foot candles respectively.
^Monthly average number of flowers.
"Monthly average number of buds.
wHybrid code.
A desirable interior foliage plant must have the ability to
maintain a high aesthetic value while exhibiting a greater lon
gevity in an interior environment. For flowering foliage plants
such as Anthurium, the ability to flower and maintain at least
two flowers under interior conditions appeared to be critical
because its aesthetic value centers on the marked contrast be
tween flowers and leaves (Chen et al., 1999b). Among the five
cultivars evaluated, three exhibited this capability under low
light conditions.
In addition to flowering, foliage density and growth con
formation under interior conditions is also important. Can
opy width to height ratio, introduced here, is a means of
recording changes in foliage growth conformations. In gener
al, it is expected that the ratio will increase as light intensity
decreases because plants try to intercept more light by chang
ing leaf and stem configuration. Depending on the degree of
change, the aesthetic value can deteriorate. In this study,
there was an increase in the ratios after five months indoors,
but the degree of change was not significant enough to effect
the aesthetic value of the plants (Table 3).
Potted Anthurium has advantages over such potted plants
as chrysanthemums and poinsettias due to their unique ap
pearance, continuous growth and flowering under interior
conditions and long-lasting flowers as demonstrated in this
study. It is anticipated that more potted Anthurium cultivars
will be introduced to the foliage plant and interior plantscape
industries and that Anthurium will continue to increase in val
ue as a flowering foliage plant.
Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 112:1999.
July 20
Dec. 21
1.23
1.68
1.58
1.63
'Ratios were calculated based on (width 1 + width 2)/2 -*- height.
>100, 300 foot candles respectively.
xInitial ratio.
wFinal ratio.
'Hybrid code.
Acknowledgment
This research was supported in part by the Fred C. Gloeckner Foundation, Inc.
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