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Registration of ‘Tift 8’ Trispecific Ornamental Pennisetum
Author(s) -
Hanna W. W.,
Braman S. K.,
Schwartz B. M.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of plant registrations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 1940-3496
pISSN - 1936-5209
DOI - 10.3198/jpr2010.07.0435crc
Subject(s) - biology , ornamental plant , pennisetum , pennisetum purpureum , inflorescence , botany , perennial plant , horticulture , paspalum , cultivar , dry matter
‘Tift 8’ (Reg. No. CV‐259, PI 659801) is a trispecific ornamental hybrid of Pennisetum approved for release by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in 2010. It was produced from crosses between P. purpureum Schumach; P. squamulatum Fresen.; and P. glaucum (L.) R. Br. This trispecific hybrid is both pollen and seed sterile. Tift 8 is a vegetatively propagated cultivar that is perennial in USDA hardiness zones 8–10. It can be grown as a vigorous annual in more northern zones. Tift 8 is morphologically similar to ‘Tift 17’, but it is significantly taller and has a significantly smaller culm‐leaf angle than Tift 17. Tift 8 is significantly more resistant to Helminthosporium leaf spot (caused by Helminthosporium ocellum Faris) than ‘Princess’. Mature leaves of Tift 8 have a reddish‐purple color. The plant color of Tift 8 is equal to, and in some tests better than, that of Tift 17. Tift 8 flowers under short days; therefore, it will not produce inflorescences where winter temperatures reach freezing (0°C) or below, or before the daylength is 10.5 h. A plant patent application has been submitted for Tift 8.