Articles
AUSTRALIAN NATIVE FLORA AS ORNAMENTAL POTTED PLANTS
Article number
205_29
Pages
203 – 206
Language
Abstract
The Australian flora is a rich source of highly ornamental plants and work is in progress to screen decorative species which could be developed as flowering pot plants.
Initially, flowering plants are placed under simulated home conditions (SHC) (12μ mol s-1 m-2 PPFD, 20°C, 60% RH, 12h) and those where a shelf life exceeded 14 days are further evaluated.
Plants from the genera Chamelaucium (Myrtaceae), Crowea (Rutaceae) and Pimelea (Thymelaeceae) are being examined in detail. Chamelaucium uncinatum (Geraldton Wax) a popular cut flower, can be grown as a compact pot plant using growth retardants and remains in flower under SHC up to 6 weeks.
Considerable scope exists for selection with respect to flower size and colour (white, pink, purple), flowering time (early/late), growth habit and ease of propagation.
A program of inter- and intra-specific hybridization is underway to produce new, superior cultivars.
Crowea ‘Bindalong Compact’ is easy to propagate from stem cuttings (3–4 weeks) and growth is compact, requiring only pruning to produce well-branched plants.
Pink star-shaped flowers are borne between late summer and early winter and plants remain in flower under SHC for 3–4 weeks.
A selection of Pimelea linifolia is compact with terminal heads of delicate white flowers.
Flowering is year-round at temperatures 18–29°C and plants flower under SHC for two weeks.
Initially, flowering plants are placed under simulated home conditions (SHC) (12μ mol s-1 m-2 PPFD, 20°C, 60% RH, 12h) and those where a shelf life exceeded 14 days are further evaluated.
Plants from the genera Chamelaucium (Myrtaceae), Crowea (Rutaceae) and Pimelea (Thymelaeceae) are being examined in detail. Chamelaucium uncinatum (Geraldton Wax) a popular cut flower, can be grown as a compact pot plant using growth retardants and remains in flower under SHC up to 6 weeks.
Considerable scope exists for selection with respect to flower size and colour (white, pink, purple), flowering time (early/late), growth habit and ease of propagation.
A program of inter- and intra-specific hybridization is underway to produce new, superior cultivars.
Crowea ‘Bindalong Compact’ is easy to propagate from stem cuttings (3–4 weeks) and growth is compact, requiring only pruning to produce well-branched plants.
Pink star-shaped flowers are borne between late summer and early winter and plants remain in flower under SHC for 3–4 weeks.
A selection of Pimelea linifolia is compact with terminal heads of delicate white flowers.
Flowering is year-round at temperatures 18–29°C and plants flower under SHC for two weeks.
Authors
G.P. Lamont
Keywords
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