Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Jeanny Bronze’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Jeanny Bronze’, characterized by its decorative pompon-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped, bronze orange-colored ray florets; strong and upright flowering stems; freely flowering habit; early and uniform flowering response; and good postproduction longevity.

Description

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Jeanny Bronze’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a cut flower and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Jeanny Bronze’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Jeanny Salmon, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/267,906. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of the cultivar in April, 2004, in Hensbroek, The Netherlands. The selection of this plant was based on its attractive ray floret color and good inflorescence form.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Hensbroek, The Netherlands since May, 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Jeanny Bronze have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Jeanny Bronze’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Jeanny Bronze’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum:

• • 1. Decorative pompon-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped, bronze orange-colored ray florets; typically grown as a spray-type.
  • 2. Strong and upright flowering stems.
  • 3. Freely flowering habit.
  • 4. Early and uniform flowering response; plants flower about 7.5 weeks after the start of photoinductive treatments.
  • 5. Good postproduction longevity; plants maintain good substance for about three weeks in an interior environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the parent, the cultivar Jeanny Salmon, in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have slightly larger and darker green-colored leaves than plants of the cultivar Jeanny Salmon.
  • 2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more freely flowering than plants of the cultivar Jeanny Salmon.
  • 3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Jeanny Salmon differ in ray floret color as ray florets of plants of the cultivar Jeanny Salmon are light orange in color.
  • 4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum have more disc florets than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Jeanny Salmon.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Jeanny Orange, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,287. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hensbroek, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Jeanny Orange in primarily in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Jeanny Orange had yellow orange-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Jeanny Bronze’ grown as a natural spray.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet are close-up views of the upper (left) and lower (right) surfaces of typical inflorescences and leaves of ‘Jeanny Bronze’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the winter in Hensbroek, The Netherlands, under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse. Plants were initially given long day/short night treatments followed by short day/long night treatments to induce flower initiation and development. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 17.5° C. to 30° C., night temperatures ranged from 18.5° C. to 24° C. and light levels were about five kilolux. Plants were pinched once and were about eleven weeks from planting when the photographs and the description were taken.

• Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Jeanny Bronze.
• Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Jeanny Salmon, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/267,906.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots.—About six to seven days with temperatures about 20° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 14 to 16 days with temperatures about 20° C.
    • Root description/habit.—Fine; light brown in color; freely branching.
• Plant description:
  • • Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative-type cut flower that is typically grown as a natural spray.
    • Flowering stem description.—Aspect: Erect. Length: About 60 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: 146C.
    • Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length: About 6 cm to 11 cm. Width: About 4.5 cm to 9 cm. Apex: Cuspidate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent, rough; veins prominent on lower surface. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 147A. Developing foliage, lower surface: 147B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Darker than 147A; venation, close to 147C. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, 147C. Petiole: Length: About 1.5 cm to 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 147C.
• Inflorescence description:
  • • Appearance.—Decorative pompon-type inflorescence form with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals, arising from leaf axils. Ray and disc florets develop acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences not fragrant.
    • Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flower in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Early and uniform flowering response; plants exposed to two weeks of long day/short night conditions after planting followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower about 7.5 weeks later when grown as a natural spray.
    • Postproduction longevity.—In an interior environment, inflorescences and foliage will maintain good color and substance for about three weeks.
    • Quantity of inflorescence.—Freely flowering habit, about 20 to 25 inflorescences per flowering stem develop.
    • Spray width.—About 17 cm.
    • Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.5 cm to 4 cm. Depth (height): About 2 cm to 2.5 cm. Disc diameter: About 8 mm.
    • Inflorescence buds.—Shape: Oblate. Height: About 4 mm to 6 mm. Diameter: About 8 mm to 10 mm. Color: 137C to 137D.
    • Ray florets.—Length: About 7 mm to 18 mm. Width: About 4 mm to 8 mm. Shape: Elongated oblong. Aspect: Incurving. Apex: Emarginate. Margin: Entire. Base: Fused; tubular. Texture: Smooth, glabrous; longitudinally ridged. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 325 arranged in numerous rows. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 163B. When opening, lower surface: Close to 3D. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 167C; color becoming closer to 167C to 167D with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 5D.
    • Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 5 mm to 6 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 25 to 40; inconspicuous. Color: Immature: Close to 12B; towards the apex, 145A. Mature: Close to 5A.
    • Phyllaries.—Shape: Deltoid. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Slightly pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to 147A to 147B.
    • Peduncles.—Length, first peduncle: About 4 cm to 5 cm. Length, fourth peduncle: About 5 cm to 6 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 146C.
    • Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Stigma length: About 5 mm. Stigma width: About 3 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 145C; towards the apex, 7A.
    • Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.
• Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under commercial conditions.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Jeanny Bronze’ as illustrated and described.