Alocasia plant named ‘ELSTLALU’

[0001] Genus and species: Alocasia cucullata.

[0002] Variety denomination: ‘ELSTLALU’.

[0003] The Applicant asserts that no publications or advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale, or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor. The Applicant claims a prior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosures and/or sales that fall within a one-year grace period prior to the filing date. This application claims priority to CPVO application no. 2024/3005 filed on Dec. 4, 2024.

[0004] The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of Alocasia plant, botanically known as Alocasia cucullata, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name ‘ELSTLALU’. The new cultivar is a naturally occurring branch mutation originating from an unnamed and unpatented population of Alocasia cucullata plants cultivated in a greenhouse in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands. Several mutations were selected by the inventor from said population of Alocasia cucullata plants for a period of 4 months. The mutations were grown in 14 cm pots and observed for uniformity, stability, and distinctness as well as for their commercial potential. From amongst these mutations, ‘ELSTLALU’ was selected by the inventor in January 2022 for further propagation and commercialization based on its unique plant shape, the attractiveness of its foliage color, and unique growth habit.

[0005] The new Alocasia cultivar ‘ELSTLALU’ was first reproduced asexually using meristematic tissue culture in July 2022 in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands. Asexual propagation by meristematic tissue culture of the new variety has shown that the unique features of the new variety are stable and reproduced true-to-type to date through 10 successive generations.

[0006] The new Alocasia cultivar ‘ELSTLALU’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, day length, light intensity, water status, fertilizer rate and type, without, however, any variance in genotype.

[0007] The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of this new Alocasia cultivar. The combination of these characteristics distinguishes ‘ELSTLALU’ as a new and distinct variety of Alocasia.

• • [0008] 1. Alocasia ‘ELSTLALU’ exhibits a dark green background leaf coloration with irregular white to light green mottling and marbling.
  • [0009] 2. Alocasia ‘ELSTLALU’ exhibits a distinct mottled and marbled variegation distributed across most of the leaf surface.
  • [0010] 3. Alocasia ‘ELSTLALU’ exhibits a tall, upright growth habit with elongated petioles and an open appearance.

[0011] The new Alocasia cultivar can be distinguished from its progenitor or parent species Alocasia cucullata by having variegated leaves and a more compact growth habit, whereas the parent Alocasia cucullata has solid green leaves with no variegation and a less compact growth habit.

[0015] In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Sixth Edition, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

[0016] The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in a conventional glass greenhouse located in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands. Growing condition consisted of an average day and night temperature of 20° C. to 22° C., 60 to 85 percent relative humidity, 150-200 μmol/m²/sec (PAR) of light, and 600 to 700 ppm of CO2. Detailed descriptions were taken in November 2024 from 20-week-old plants grown in 14-centimeter circular containers. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plant types.

• [0017] Classification:
  • • [0018] Family.—Araceae.
    • [0019] Botanical.—Alocasia cucullata.
    • [0020] Denomination.—‘ELSTLALU’.
• [0021] General description:
  • • [0022] Plant type.—Tropical perennial for use as a potted ornamental plant.
    • [0023] Crop time.—Approximately 20 weeks from propagation to a saleable plant.
    • [0024] Approximate container size and/or cropping system.—12.0 cm or larger pots.
    • [0025] Growth habit.—Broad and upright.
    • [0026] Overall plant shape.—Broad inverted triangular to obovate.
    • [0027] Height from soil level to top of foliar plane.—30.0 cm.
    • [0028] Plant diameter or area of spread.—38.5 cm.
    • [0029] Growth rate.—Moderate.
    • [0030] Plant vigor.—Moderate.
    • [0031] Branching habit.—Growth emerges from basal clumps.
    • [0032] Stem description.—Stemless.
    • [0033] Quantity of divisions or clumps per plant.—1.
    • [0034] Propagation type.—Meristematic tissue culture.
• [0035] Foliage description:
  • • [0036] Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.
    • [0037] Quantity of leaves per basal clump.—Average of 9.
    • [0038] Lamina.—Shape: Ovate to broad ovate, moderately elongated. Length: Average 18.6 cm. Width: Average 11.4 cm. Aspect: Flat to very slightly concave. Apex shape: Apiculate to aristate, pointed downwards at an average angle of 60° to the lamina. Base shape: Cordate to hastate. Margins: Entire, slightly repand, and slightly to moderately coarsely undulate. Texture (both upper and lower surfaces): Smooth, glabrous and moderately leathery. Pubescence: Not present. Luster: Upper surface: Very slightly glossy. Lower surface: Slightly glossy. Color: Juvenile foliage: Upper surface: Slightly darker than 143A (green) and sparsely and irregularly blotched and marbled with 147D (yellow-green). Lower surface: A blend of 143A and 146B (yellow-green) and sparsely and irregularly blotched and marbled with 147D (yellow-green). Mature foliage: Upper surface: A blend of 139A and 147A (green to yellow-green), and densely to very densely, irregularly finely dotted and marbled with 191A, 191B, and 193A (greyed green) and 157C and 157D (green-white). Lower surface: A blend of 147A and 147B (yellow-green), and densely to very densely, irregularly finely dotted and marbled with 191A, 191B, 193B, 193C (greyed green) and 157C and 157D (green-white). Venation: Pattern: Pinnate. Color (mature leaves): Upper surface: NN137A (green) and slightly to heavily axillary striped with 191A, 191B and 193A (greyed green) and 157C and 157D (green-white). Lower surface: 146C and 146D (yellow-green) and axillary striped with 146A (yellow-green).
    • [0039] Petiole.—Length: 29.8 cm. Diameter: 0.9 cm at the proximal end and 0.3 cm at the distal end. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Luster (both upper and lower surfaces): Matte. Strength: Strong. Color: Upper surface: 137C (green) and radially striped with 137A (green). Lower surface: 137C and 137D (green) and radially striped with 137A (green). Wings: Length: Average 12.1 cm. Width: Average 1.1 cm. Color: Inner surface: 138B (green) and radially striped with 137B (green). Outer surface: 138A and 138B (green) and radially striped with 137B (green).
• [0040] Inflorescence: None observed to date.
• [0041] High temperature tolerance: Up to 40 degrees Celsius.
• [0042] Low temperature tolerance: Greater than 5 degrees Celsius.
• [0043] USDA hardiness zones: Zones 10 to 13.
• [0044] Rain tolerance: Moderate to high.
• [0045] Wind tolerance: Low.
• [0046] Disease and pest tolerance: No claims are made to any superior disease or insect resistance or tolerance.

[0047] The new Alocasia cultivar ‘ELSTLALU’ can be distinguished from the related known variety of Alocasia cucullata ‘Variegata’ (unpatented) in the following characteristics described in Table 1 below.

[0048]

TABLE 1
Characteristic	‘ELSTLALU’	‘Variegata’
Leaf shape.	Ovate to broad ovate,	Broadly triangular
	moderately elongated.	to heart-shaped,
		less elongated.
Leaf color	Dark green background	Bright chartreuse to light
(upper	with irregular white to	green with darker green
surface).	light green mottling and	sectorial variegation
	marbling.	near the margins.
Leaf pattern.	Distinct mottled and	Predominantly solid bright
	marbled variegation	green with occasional
	distributed across most	contrasting patches.
	of the leaf surface.
Leaf size.	Larger, typically 18-25	Smaller, typically 10-15
	cm in length.	cm in length.
Leaf	Erect to outwardly arching.	More upright and slightly
orientation		forward-facing.
Petiole color.	Green, sometimes with	Uniform light green.
	lighter striations.
Growth habit.	Taller, more upright with	Compact, shorter
	elongated petioles and a	internodes, denser foliage.
	more open appearance.