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  Anthurium sp? 'Crystal Hope'
From: Denis denis at skg.com> on 2001.01.05 at 13:53:56(5809)
Dear Lester:

Anthurium Crystall Hope was an Ball Seed Company attempt to produce an
Anthurium crystallinum that was suitable for pot plant production.(Good
Idea) It was compact and well suckered with beautifully veined leaves.
Ball Seed Company never told us whether the plant is a hybrid or a sport
from some species in that Cardiolonchium Group. I tried growing it as a
horticultural item several years back. The first large crop of them I
got came down with a mysterious systemic infection called Fusarium
semitecum (The University pathologist got very excited over this and
wanted more samples.) Ball Seed blamed it on the grower who contract
grew the liners for them. After growing subsequent crops of this plant,
I realized it just had a genetic defect which I seen in other Anthuriums
over the years. It over-suckered because it lacked Apical dominance and
produced side-shoot after side-shoot expending all its stored energy on
new growth without storing up any energy reserves and building a strong
single plant. This left Crystall Hope very vulnerable to every Fungal
Pathogen which came down the Pike. I discontinued growing it after that
first year as I could not produced a consistant profitable crop when 25%
of the plant died form disease and the customers complained that the
plants they received died form an mystery disease shortly after arriving
at their facility. This over-suckering thing I have seen in my
Pachyneurium (Bird's Nest) types and in my Clarinervium seedlings on
occassion. It prevents the plant from making a strong single plant that
makes mature leaves leaving you with a mound of juvenile foliage and
plantlets all competing with each other for light and fertilizer. A
little branching is good... a lot is perhaps too much to be good. In
short Lester, it's not you it's the Plant. If it were me I'd quit while
I was ahead, you can continue to fight with it if you wish. As for me I
am now growing clarinervium and crystallinum from seed. That has its own
set of problems.

Denis

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From: magrysbo at shu.edu on 2001.01.05 at 17:09:58(5810)
Looks like a genetic defect in some control element. A mutation in the
promotor or enhancer region of an enzyme producing/controlling release of
the apical dominance hormone (IAA?), possibly tissue specific. Artificial
application of hormone may treat the problem.
Bonaventure Magrys

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From: Lester Kallus lkallus at earthlink.net> on 2001.01.05 at 21:45:54(5811)
Actually, it does sort of look like a fungus. The leaves brown on the edge
and then brown increasingly until they become so disfigured that removal is
the only option.

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