@mcvansoest I agree about that "lumping & splitting" & those Pant Namers people... That is a really old debate. I just figure they sit back in chairs & read books. Like a worm, in compost! They have no idea whatsover, about growing any of these plants, much less go to any of their habitats, ( or bother to notice how far apart ( for example) the species they just lumped, may actually grow, from each other. It could be over 500 miles apart, for all I know & they took no notice at all... or comversely,, while splitting.

ShawnSteve said:It may be published as such, but I was corrected about the proper spelling of the cultivar name, by a Japanese grower...Not sure I recall it correctly, perfectly...

In some sense it's only spelled right if it's in kanji. The other names are just something we have to agree upon in order to communicate about the plants in our alphabet.

Our alphabet doesn't correspond, quite the same way, as their system,with the symbols, used in Japanese.. Even in "Kanji", (which was what I had thought too.) I was told.. isn't kanji. at all....
If that makes any sense!. I hope I am correct, about that. But it would require someone fluent in the language. Shawn san

@Baja_Costero Yeah, I agree with you, about the plant names, we use them, so we know which plant we are discussing. I simply think that the spelling just changed over time , then published .Old faded labels & phonetic spelling may have contributed to changes, over time..

Okay, Lets move on to the next Japanese selection hybrid; Agave Schidigera shira ito oh no ohi.
Sounds like the name came from handling it.
AKA; Agave filifera 'Compacta Marginata', Queen of White Thread-leaf Agave
What's nice about this plant is when very dry and watered the threads start to move around.



The very sad thing about this Agave is it never pups. Don't know if it will after blooming.

That sounds like every Agave to me. The one little fella you gave me likes to remind me he is there.

Repeat of a old tip. I use finger nail clippers to cut the very tip off each leaf. Hardly noticeable. Some times I get lazy and get paid for it. Ohh no ouch.

I should, bu I think it gives them personality. Maybe too much though.

Well I just found another version of that Agave's name, 'Shira Ito no Ōhi'.

I really like agaves, don't have many species but i try. Here's one i like. It's a pup from my older americana and it's not like its bretheren. Been growing on its own for 2 years and it's pretty fast:

Musta had one of those confrontations with that spiked tip..."then added to the label "oh" *** no. Ouch! Some Agave, like 'quadricolor', are natural colors. If this one doesn't offset, then is it a seed grown type & the colors, naturally occurring ?

I think it is propagated by tissue culture.

Oh, ok. Thanks for clarification on that.

Crazycactiguy, That's a keeper. Would like to see what pups from this one.

ShawnSteve, Maybe it came from the price they are now charging for them. Oh no oh..

There is a green type and it does pup.

@stush2019 thanks! The mother plant made another yellow pup that crumbled mysteriously and hasn't made any yellow ones since so i'm dedinitely keeping this one! I don't think it will pup soon since any americana will pup at quarter that size. However one can only dream. I know it's just another variegated americana but it's special to me

Crazycactiguy, no it is special. Not the typical variegated americana. Don't know how to get it published but if so, you have naming rights. It may not be typical growing habits like other Americana. Might not grow as large, may or may not pup.

@Stush2019 I always wondered what the Patent process entails. I have seen P.P. applied for on commercial labels, before. I mean the process, of how one goes about obtaining one, since it seemed that many, "applied for" seemed to just remain that way on purchased labels stuck into the pot, ( or pasted onto a larger pot). Maybe it was an easier way, to get royalties off the plant, without having to complete the entire process, needed to prove everything, required, to obtain an actual Patent, with a number? I do figure, the patent eventually expires,,,,

I don't think the patent police will do anything to protect non-patented plants. The protection comes in when nurseries are propagating plants for sale. I don't think there's any particular reason to wait for a patent to be approved before proceeding to sell plants, though. In fact, there tends to be a pretty strong push to get patented plants (or patent-pending plants) to market fast and in volume, to ensure that the propagation is done by someone who paid royalties and not by random folks here and there who didn't. Because those random folks will eventually fill the demand if it exists and their efforts remain outside the watchful eyes of the patent police.

The first thing you would need to demonstrate is that the characteristics of that sport are stable, ie. offsets and/or tissue cultured clones need to show the same characteristics, if not there is nothing to patent.

Then you need to bring it to market, ie. Produce enough offsets with those same characteristics or go all out and tissue culture it so you can sell/distribute it. Then you need to publish it in some sort of catalog - I think these days a relatively stable website where images, details and its name can be found are sufficient to allow you to claim a cultivar name. I think this is what Plant Delights Nursery does. I do not think they patent their plants, but am not sure.

If you just end up naming your plant but are unable to distribute it will just be a plant you named in your yard any one else with a similar but not direct clone of the plant could use that name too.

I think even if you do what PDN does it still does not quite stop someone from using the cultivar name again, but if your distribution is wide enough few people would use that name for a similar plant. And having it listed might allow you to derive some amount of claim to that name. To fully claim the cv. name and stop people from being able to legally propagate and sell you plant you would have to patent it.

For other plants with a large production of named cultivars, the usually is an organization that registers new cultivars and checks if they are different enough to merit a cultivar name, etc. however, for Agaves there is no such thing as I am aware.

Just checking mail order nurseries and found this on Mountain Crest;



This plant goes on Ebay for a lot more and is considered rare. Don't know how they are doing this but is an outstanding deal. If I didn't already owned two, I would order more.