USPP12437P2 - Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Virunga’ - Google Patents

Abstract

A Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Virunga’ characterized by its Large sized blooms with Yellow-Orange ray-florets and Yellow-Green disc florets.

Description

RELATED CULTIVARS

‘Virunga’ is related to Yellow ‘Virunga’ (copending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/561,933). Yellow ‘Virunga’ is a color mutant from ‘Virunga’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Virunga’ is a product of a breeding-program which had the objective of creating new chrysanthemum cultivars with a daisy type flower, a 7 week response and a medium plant height. The new plant of the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant. ‘Virunga’ is a seedling from a cross in a breeding program maintained under the control of inventor. The female parent is #94.005—unpatented—, an unamed seedling not available to inventor for description. The male parent is unknown, being a mixed pollation of a group of male parents. The new and distinct cultivar was discovered and selected as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross by Rob Noodelijk in a controlled environment (greenhouse) in Rijsenhout Holland in May 1996. The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘Virunga’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in August 1996 in a controlled environment in Rijsenhout Holland.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum bearing large sized blooms with yellow-orange ray-florets and yellow-green disc florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum is shown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true as possible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar;

FIG. 3 shows the various stages of foliage and petiole of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classification dendranthema grandiflora. The observations and measurements were gathered from plants grown in a greenhouse in Rijsenhout Holland in a photo-periodic controlled crop under conditions generally used in commercial practice. The greenhouse temperatures during this crop were at day-time between 18° C. and 25° C. and at night 20° C. The photo-periodic response time in this crop was 53 days after an average of eight long days. After this long day period to flowering growth retardants were applied 6 times in an average dose of 1.5 gram/liter water. No tests were done on disease or insect resistance or susceptibility. This new variety produces large sized blooms with yellow-orange ray-florets and yellow-green disc-florets blooming on the plant for 5 weeks. This new variety of chrysanthemum has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics throughout successive propagations however the phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as light intensity and temperature. To show the phenotype as described ‘Virunga’ can be planted without assimilation lightning (high pressure sodium lamps) between week 50 and week 40 of the next year under greenhouse conditions in Holland. With assimilation lightning (minimum level 2500 lux) it can be planted year round under greenhouse conditions in Holland.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivar in comparison to ‘Virunga’ is Yellow ‘Virunga’. When Yellow ‘Virunga’ and ‘Virunga’ are being compared the following difference is noticed: The differences of Yellow ‘Virunga’ and ‘Virunga’ is the ray-floret color. ‘Virunga’ is yellow-orange, Yellow ‘Virunga’ is clear yellow.

From other commercial available varieties known to the inventor ‘Orange Blush’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,451) is most similar. The most obvious differences are (1) Flower form and color. The color of ‘Virunga’ is deeper orange, the ray-florets are less reflexing. (2) Vigor. ‘Virunga’ is more vigorous than ‘Orange Blush’.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics that distinguish ‘Virunga’ as a new and distinct variety.

The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, any discrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted in the photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart used in this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society color chart, edition 1995.

TABLE 1
Botanical Description of CULTIVAR ‘VIRUNGA’

	Bud
	Size	Large; cross-section 1.0 cm,
		height 1.0 cm
	Outside Color	Yellow-orange 22 C
	Involucral bracts	2 rows, length 7 mm, width
		3 mm
	Involucral bracts	Not present
	among disc-florets
	Involucral bracts	Yellow-green 146 D
	color
	Bloom
	Type	Daisy
	Height	Flat
	Size	Large
	Fully Expanded	6.5-7.0 cm.
	Number of blooms	Approx. 4 blooms per branch
	per branch
	Performance on the	5 weeks
	plant
	Seeds	Not produced
	Fragrance	Typical chrysanthemum
	Color
	Center of the flow	Immature yellow-green 144
	(disc-florets)	A
		Mature yellow-orange 15 C
	Color of upper	Yellow-orange 22 A with a
	surface of the ray-	pattern of Yellow 15 A,
	florets	Yellow 15 A at the tips
	Color of the lower	Yellow-orange 18 A
	surface of the ray-
	florets
	Tonality from	A pot mum with pale orange
	Distance	flowers and a green disc
	Discoloration to	Yellow-orange 22 B
	color
	Ray florets
	Texture	Upper and under side
		smooth.
	Number	27-30
	Cross-section	Concave
	Longitudinal axis of	Reflexing
	majority
	Length of corolla	Short
	tube
	Ray-floret length	3.0-3.2 cm.
	Ray-floret width	0.8-1.0 cm.
	Ratio length/width	Medium
	Shape of tip	Pointed
	Disc florets
	Disc diameter	1.2-1.5 cm.
	Distribution of disc	Numerous clearly visible at
	florets	all stages of flowering.
	Shape	Tubular
	Color	Yellow-green 144 A
	Receptacle shape	Conical raised
	Reproductive Organs
	Stamen (present in	Yellow-green, thick, 4 mm.
	disc florets only)
	Number of stamen	Grown together as one
	Stamen color	Yellow-green 144 C
	Pollen	Present at mature stage
	Pollen color	Yellow-orange 12 A
	Styles (present in	Yellow-green, thin
	both ray and disc
	florets)
	Style color	Yellow-green 144 C
	Style Length	5 mm.
	Stigmas	Yellow-green
	Stigma Width	2 mm.
	Ovaries	Enclosed in calyx
	Plant
	Form	A pot mum meant for indoor
		use
	Growth habit	Spreading
	Growth rate	Rapid
	Height	24-26 cm.
	Width	26-28 cm.
	Stem Color	Yellow-green 146 D
	Stem Strength	Medium to strong
	Stem Brittleness	Absent
	Stem Anthocyanin	Absent
	Coloration
	Length of lateral	From top to bottom 12-13 cm
	branch
	Lateral branch color	Yellow-green 146 D
	Lateral branch,	Weak
	attachment
	Branching (average	Poor with 3 breaks after
	number of lateral	pinching
	branches)
	Peduncle length	3.0-4.5 cm.
	Peduncle color	Yellow-green 146 D
	Flowering	53 Days
	Response (photo-
	periodic controlled
	crop, not natural
	season
	Foliage
	Color	Upper side green 137 A
		Under side green 147 B
	Size	Medium; length 7.0 cm,
		width 5.0 cm
	Quantity (number per	6-8
	lateral branch)
	Shape	Ovate
	Texture upper side	Glabrous
	Texture under side	Pubescent
	Venation arrangement	Palmate
	Shape of the margin	Serrated
	Shape of Base of	Round
	Sinus Between
	Lateral Lobes
	Margin of Sinus	Converging
	Between Lateral
	Lobes
	Shape of Base	Rounded (sometimes
		asymmetric)
	Apex	Mucronate

TABLE 2
Differences with the comparison varieties

		‘YELLOW
	‘VIRUNGA’	VIRUNGA’	‘ORANGE BLUSH’

	Ray-	Yellow-	Yellow 3 A	Yellow-orange 20 B
	floret	orange 22 A
	color
	Growth	rapid	rapid	Slow
	rate

Claims (1)