The present invention relates to a new and distinct hybrid of Colocasia, hereinafter referred to by its cultivar name, ‘Black Swan’. Colocasia is a tropical genus in the Araceae family.
The new cultivar was derived from a controlled breeding program under the direction of by the inventor at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA. The overall purpose of the breeding program was to make selections of Colocasia plants with colorful foliage, good growth rate and that are well suited for landscape or containers. ‘Black Swan’ arose from a cross performed in May 17, 2012 between Colocasia ‘Black Coral’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,896 as the female and the male parent was ‘Thailand Giant’ (not patented). ‘Black Swan’ was given the breeder code 12-07-01 prior to naming.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by in vitro propagation using shoot tip culture in 2014. To those skilled in the art shoot tip tissue culture produces propagules of identical characteristics to those of the original plant. Asexual propagation of ‘Black Swan’ by shoot tip tissue culture has shown that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and reproduce true to type in successive generations.
No plants of Colocasia ‘Black Swan’ have been sold, in this country or anywhere in the world, prior to the filing of this application, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made prior to the filing of this application except that which was disclosed within one year of the filing of this application, and was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.