ISHS Acta Horticulturae 454: III International Symposium on New Floricultural Crops
PSEUDOERANTHEMUM REPANDUM: POTENTIAL AS A NEW FLOWERING POTTED PLANT |
| Authors: | A.S. Andersen, U. Bækman, L.S. Møller |
| Abstract:
This plant species has not previously been considered for cultivation as an ornamental in Europe. It belongs to the Acanthaceae and originates from Vanuatu. Pseudoeranthemum is a small shrub with shiny, oval, opposite leaves having undulating edges. Flowers are red-violet, zygomorphic with a 3 cm long basal tube and they appear in great numbers in the upper leaf axils. The propagation was easy: 100% rooting of herbaceous terminal cuttings after 10 days. The tendency of the shoots to grow in a pendulous fashion necessitated growth retardation. Growth retardants chlormequat, paclobutrazol, uniconazol and flurprimidol were effective, while daminozide was not. Reduction of flower diameter and colour was observed at the highest concentrations of retardants. Flower induction remains an unsolved problem, only little effect was obtained by short or long day treatments. Without treatment the plants flower profusely during the months of August to October under Danish greenhouse conditions. Postharvest performance of the flowering plants was evaluated. The single flowers last about three days before the corolla drops without wilting, but new buds develop continuously and open even under low light in simulated indoor conditions. Flower and bud drop is extremely sensitive to ethylene while leaves are completely insensitive and remain on the plant even after several weeks in 1 ppm ethylene. The longevity can be prolonged and flower/bud drop prevented by silver thiosulfate. Problem: The flowers are good hiding places for Frankliniella thrips that thereby become difficult to eradicate. | |
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