College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources introduce new anthurium in honor of UH Centennial celebration

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Miles Hakoda, (808) 956-3093
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
Posted: Mar 1, 2007


HONOLULU — The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), the founding college of the University of Hawaiʻi, has named a new anthurium in celebration of the university‘s 100th anniversary. The dual-purpose cut flower and potted plant selection is named ʻCentennial‘ and commemorates a century of educational achievements arising from a foundation built on the study of the agricultural sciences.

"We‘re very pleased that we can celebrate the college‘s and university‘s centennial with this beautiful anthurium, and at the same time create a new future product for Hawai‘i‘s anthurium growers," said CTAHR Dean Andrew Hashimoto.

The ʻCentennial‘ anthurium is a tulip-type spathe, about 4.75" long and 2.5" wide that is colored white with green stripes (veins) where the green coloration is expected to become more prominent as the flower matures.

According to CTAHR researchers, the green and white coloration in ʻCentennial‘ is representative of the university‘s colors. They describe the green stripes that come together to form one flower a symbol of the diverse cultures that represent the life-blood of the university. Further, the unusual tulip-shaped spathe is reminiscent of the flame that appears in the middle of the UH seal, with its upward sweep symbolic of the university‘s quest for academic excellence.

Professor Emeritus Dr. Haruyuki Kamemoto, Dr. Heidi Kuehnle, Dr. Tessie Amore, John Kunisaki, Joanne Lichty and Dr. Janice Uchida teamed up to develop ʻCentennial.‘ Kamemoto is credited for establishing UH‘s anthurium research program in 1950 to develop disease resistant and novel anthuriums for the flower industry. This highly successful program has released more than 40 new commercial varieties since 1963, which helped anthuriums become the state‘s most valuable cut-flower crop. Cut anthuriums had a farm-gate value of $4.7 million in 2005.

"ʻCentennial‘ was in the right place at the right timeā€”it happened to capture the spirit of the current centennial celebration," said Kuehnle. "It recognizes in particular the contributions that research in tropical flower breeding has made to the rich agricultural heritage of Hawaiʻi."

ʻCentennial‘ yields approximately six flowers per plant per year and is not expected to be commercially available for a few years until enough plantings are made for production that can supply year-round sales.

Download a copy of the fact sheet at http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/NPH-A-11.pdf.About the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), established in 1907 as the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, is the founding college of the University of Hawaiʻi. The college is an integral part of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa‘s Carnegie I Research Institution designation and is the Land Grant college of the University of Hawaiʻi system. CTAHR is federally mandated to fulfill the University‘s threefold Land Grant mission of instruction, scientific research, and outreach to address State needs. No other college in the University of Hawaiʻi has such an extensive mandate or interacts so closely with the citizens of the State. For more information, visit www.ctahr.hawaii.edu.