Anthurium plant named ‘AA4502’

[0001] Genus and species: Anthurium hybrid Schott.

[0002] Variety denomination: ‘AA4502’.

[0003] This application claims priority to CPVO application no. 2024/2863 filed on Nov. 29, 2024, which is herein incorporated by reference. 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 foreign priority 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.

[0004] The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of Anthurium hybrid Schott., hereinafter referred to by its cultivar name ‘AA4502’.

[0005] The new Anthurium plant is a product of a controlled breeding program conducted by the inventor in Evergem, Belgium. The objective of the breeding program was to create new Anthurium hybrids characterized by very dark emergent foliage, rapid vegetative growth, and strong leathery leaf texture. The new Anthurium plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in September 2019 in Evergem, Belgium between two unpatented and unnamed breeding selections of Anthurium hybrids derived from Anthurium moodeanum. ‘AA4502’ Anthurium was selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Evergem, Belgium in 2022.

[0006] ‘AA4502’ was first reproduced asexually by meristematic tissue culture in September 2021 in Evergem, Belgium. Asexual reproduction by meristematic tissue culture in a controlled environment has shown that the unique features of the new cultivar are stable and reproduced true-to-type in 5 successive generations.

[0007] The new Anthurium cultivar 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.

[0008] The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of this new Anthurium cultivar. The combination of these characteristics distinguishes ‘AA4502’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Anthurium:

• • [0009] 1. Very dark greyed purple to black coloration on emergent foliage;
  • [0010] 2. Fast-growing plant, reaching commercial size within approximately 14 months from tissue culture;
  • [0011] 3. Strong foliage texture, with thick, leathery, and glossy leaves;
  • [0012] 4. Symmetrical plant habit and vigorous root development; and
  • [0013] 5. Excellent stability and uniformity in tissue culture propagation.

[0017] The following detailed description was taken in November 2025 from 18-month-old plants grown in 12-centimeter circular containers in Evergem Belgium. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plant types. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Sixth Edition, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

• [0018] Classification:
  • • [0019] Family.—Araceae.
    • [0020] Botanical.—Anthurium hybrid Schott.
    • [0021] Denomination.—‘AA4502’.
• [0022] General description:
  • • [0023] Plant type.—Tropical perennial.
    • [0024] Plant habit.—Compact, upright and symmetrical.
    • [0025] Overall plant shape.—Broad elliptic to obovate.
    • [0026] Height from soil level to top of foliar plane.—Approximately 82.0 cm.
    • [0027] Plant spread or diameter.—Approximately 64.7 cm.
    • [0028] Growth rate.—Moderate.
    • [0029] Plant vigor.—Moderate.
    • [0030] Propagation type.—Meristematic tissue culture.
    • [0031] Time required to produce a saleable plant from tissue culture.—14 months.
    • [0032] Branching habit.—Basel branching and lateral branching.
    • [0033] Stems.—Quantity: Average two basal stems and one lateral stem. Appearance/shape: Rounded. Length: Basal stem: Average 21.0 cm. Lateral stem: Average 6.5 cm. Diameter: Basal stem: Average 2.6 cm. Lateral stem: Average 1.9 cm. Internode length: Average 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Main stem near vertical; lateral stems grow at an average angle of 10 degrees from the main stem. Color: Immature: 146A (yellow-green). Mature: Slightly lighter than 199D (grey-brown).
    • [0034] Roots.—Moderately fleshy, non-fibrous, colored 179B and 180A (greyed-red), average 30.1 cm in length and 0.3 cm in diameter.
• [0035] Foliage description:
  • • [0036] Quantity of leaves per stem.—2.
    • [0037] Arrangement.—Alternate.
    • [0038] Attachment.—Petiolate.
    • [0039] Foliage durability to abiotic stresses.—Moderate to high.
    • [0040] Lamina.—Shape: Narrow cordate to cordate. Length: Average 45.2 cm. Width: Average 26.5 cm. Apex: Apiculate with a mucronate tip. Base: Strongly cordate. Margins: Entire, slightly undulate. Texture (both upper and lower surfaces): Glabrous and smooth, moderately leathery. Pubescence: Not present. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Juvenile foliage, upper surface: Interveinal areas: A blend of N186C (greyed-purple) and 203B (black). Primary vein: N186C (greyed-purple). Secondary veins: N186C (greyed-purple). Juvenile foliage, lower surface: Interveinal areas: N199A (greyed-brown). Primary vein: 187B (greyed-purple). Secondary veins: 187B (greyed-purple). Mature foliage, upper surface: Interveinal areas: Darker than near 147A (yellow-green) with a mucronate tip colored 163A (greyed-orange). Primary vein: 146C (yellow-green). Secondary veins: 146C (yellow-green). Mature foliage, lower surface: Interveinal areas: A blend of 146A and 147A (yellow-green) with a mucronate tip colored N144A (yellow-green). Primary vein: N199A (greyed-brown). Secondary veins: N199A (greyed-brown), fading to 187A (greyed-purple) towards the margin.
    • [0041] Petioles.—Length: Average 45.5 cm including geniculum. Diameter: Distal end: 1.0 cm. Proximal end: 0.6 cm. Shape: Rounded, upper side flattened. Aspect: Average angle of 30 degrees from stem. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous, and moderately glossy. Color: Upper surface: N199A (grey-brown), darkening to NN199B (grey-brown) towards the proximal end and NN137B (green) at the base. Lower surface: N199B (grey-brown), tinged 178A (greyed-red) and NN137B (green) at the base.
    • [0042] Geniculum.—Length: Average 3.4 cm. Diameter: Average 0.7 cm. Shape: Rounded, upper side flattened. Aspect: Average angle of 30 degrees from stem. Color: Upper surface: A blend of 152A (yellow-green) and N199A (grey-brown). Lower surface: 178A (greyed-red).
    • [0043] Petiole wings.—Length: 4.1 cm. Diameter: 0.6 cm. Color: Upper surface: Slightly transparent 144A (yellow-green), fading to a transparent 144C (yellow-green) towards the edge. Lower surface: 144C (yellow-green).
    • [0044] Cataphylls.—General: Young leaves covered by singe cataphyll, folded around leaf and petiole. Shape: Lanceolate. Length: Average 13.7 cm. Width: Average 0.9 cm. Color: 200D (brown), fading to 178A (greyed-red) towards the tip, tip of primary vein and mucronate tip colored 144A (yellow-green).
• [0045] Inflorescence: None observed to date.
• [0046] Fruit and seed set: None observed to date.
• [0047] USDA Hardiness zone: Zone 10 and up.
• [0048] Disease and pest tolerance: No claims are made to any superior disease or insect resistance or tolerance.

[0049] The new Anthurium cultivar ‘AA4502’ can be distinguished from its female or seed parent in the following characteristics described in Table 1 below.

[0050]

	TABLE 1
	Characteristic	‘AA4502’	Female Parent
	Growth rate	Fast	Moderate
	Emergent leaf	Very dark	Medium green
	color	almost black
	Leaf thickness	Thick and	Soft and
		leathery	thinner
	Leaf	Very glossy	Matte
	glossiness
	Petiole color	Dark reddish-	Green
		brown
	Plant vigor	High	Moderate

[0051] The new Anthurium cultivar ‘AA4502’ can be distinguished from its male or pollen parent in the following characteristics described in Table 2 below.

[0052]

	TABLE 2
	Characteristic	‘AA4502’	Male Parent
	Growth habit	Compact, upright	Upright but
		and symmetrical	less uniform
	Emergent	Very dark almost	Olive-green
	leaf color	black
	Leaf thickness	Thick and leathery	Medium
	Growth rate	Fast	Moderate
	Leaf glossiness	Very glossy	Slightly glossy
	Plant vigor	High	Medium

[0053] The new Anthurium cultivar ‘AA4502’ can be distinguished from the related known commercial Anthurium species A. moodeanum (unnamed and unpatented) in the following characteristics described in Table 3 below.

[0054]

	TABLE 3
	Characteristic	‘AA4502’	A. moodeanum
	Growth rate	Fast	Slow to
			moderate
	Emergent	Very dark almost	Bronze-green
	leaf color	black
	Leaf texture	Thick and leathery	Moderate firm
	Leaf glossiness	Very glossy	Low to medium
	Petiole color	Dark reddish-brown	Green
	Growth habit	Compact, upright	Spreading
		and symmetrical
	Foliage density	Dense	Moderate