AU2015100619A4 - Method of producing highlighted ribs or veins in Alternanthera plants, and to a new Alternanthera ficoidea plant called ‘PP05’ produced thereby - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of producing highlighted ribs or veins in Alternanthera plants, and to a new Alternantheraficoidea plant called 'PP05' produced thereby. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of highlighting and making more bold vivid pink tones in the ribs or veins of a weak or moderately ribbed and veined Alternanthera plant, and to the more vividly pink veined or ribbed plant produced thereby. Drawings and figures. Figure 1. Shows the wider veins on new plants after being treated by this method compared to the original plant with no treatment. Original plant 'New plants treated with this Method'

Description

Field of invention The present invention relates to a method of producing highlighted ribs or veins in Alternanthera plants, comprising treating the target plants with the compound paclobutrazol (triazole). More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of highlighting and making more bold vivid 5 pink tones in the ribs or veins of a weak or moderately ribbed and veined Alternanthera plant. The invention is specific to pink veined or ribbed Alternanthera plants produced by this method. Background art There are many forms of partially ribbed Alternanthera plants with low to moderate highlight, but few in Australia and the world with bold consistent ribs or veins, particularly with vivid pink. Those .0 that are available lack consistency, and boldness together. There are currently no Alternanthera ficoidea types available with bold consistent ribbing in Australia, but there are some Alternanthera dentata types with bright pink colours, but none with consistent vivid pink ribs or veins. Producing a highlighted pinked ribbed from from seed although possible, would take years of seedling selection with no guarantee of success, even with 100,000 or more seedlings. .5 Summary of invention It has been found by the inventor that a method of controlled vegetative mutation using a variety of Alternanthera that has not had PBR in Australia and has not been commercialised in Australia, would be a better method to obtain new highly ribbed or veined pink forms of Alternanthera. A multigenerational mutation selection method according to the present invention provided the .0 results and produced more vivid pink ribbed or veined plants. Over a number of years, with multiple generations each year, with the addition of regular treatments with paclobutrazol (triazole), this method gradually enhanced the vivid pink ribs or veins in Alternanthera plants. Detailed description of the invention. In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference .5 will now be made to the preferred embodiments of the methods of producing more vividly pink veined or ribbed Alternanthera plants. 16mL of paclobutrazol (triazole) was diluted in 1 litre of water and applied as a drench to the plants, at all stages of this inventive process each 4 months. After selection of the original plant with low amounts of pink ribbing or veins, cuttings were taken of leaves that had slightly more pink ribbing or veins. From this generation one, it was noticed 5 stems 30 had slightly more pink ribbing or veins. These 5 stems were cut and placed in potting mix in a hot house. After growing these out in 140mm pots, it was observed that 2 stems had significantly wider pink ribs or veins. After growing the plants grown from these selected cuttings for 12 months, cutting selections were taken that had much wider pink ribs or veins than the previous generation. A good sample of this enhanced pink rib or veined plant was grown out into a 140mm pot for 12 35 months. From this plant, further cuttings were taken. 20 plants were grown, and it was noticed that the plants now generally grew uniformly with large pink ribs or veins, although some leaves were still not uniform. Other samples of different selections were also taken, and performed similarly. Over 2 more generations cuttings were taken of the wider pink ribbed or veined leaves of plants. After the 2 "d cycle it was noticed that the leaves of selected plants were now uniform and 40 consistently had wider pink veins or ribs. These plants were deemed stable and subsequent generations have shown good stability in the wide pink ribs or veins of plants derived from this method of producing highlighted ribs or veins in Alternanthera plants, comprising treating the target plants with compound paclobutrazol (triazole). 1 An example of one of the selections of plants derived from this method when observed in May 2014, 5 had the following colours. The main part of the leaf had a RHS colour of 200b. The pink ribs or veins had a RHS colour of N66b, and the stalk had a colour of 185b. The Pink ribs or veins have an average width of 2mm. Whist the original plant prior to using this innovative method had the main part of the leaf as a RHS colour of N186a. The pink ribs or veins had a RHS colour of N66a, and the stalk had a colour of 166a. Other selections had different colours, but the pick rib was larger in all good i0 selections. The original plant prior to using this method had an average vein or rib width of 0.05mm. The leaf and overall size of the plant was not changed by this invention method. 2