Chrysanthemum plant named Dark Eyes
A new and distinct variety of Chrysanthemum plant. The new plant is characterized by its flat capitulum form, anemone capitulum type, lavender ray floret color, darker contrasting disc floret color, a diameter across face of capitulum of 3.5-6.0 cm, spreading to upright branching pattern with 4-7 breaks after a single pinch, a flowering response of 56 to 60 days from the start of short days, and a plant height for 6.5 in. (16.5 cm) pot of about 40 cm with 1-2 applications of B-9 at 2500 ppm.
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1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to Chrysanthemum plants. More particularly, the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name "Dark eyes."
2. Background of the New Plant
Dark Eyes, identified as 86.2469, was originated from a cross made by Jack Van Der Knaap in a controlled breeding program at De Lier, Holland in 1985.
The female parent of Dark Eyes was an unnamed seedling, and the male parent was Wall Street (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,869).
Dark Eyes was discovered and selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross by Jack Van Der Knaap in 1986 in a controlled environment at De Lier, Holland.
The first asexual reproduction of Dark Eyes was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken in 1986 in a controlled environment at De Lier, Holland by technicians working under the direction and supervision of Jack Van Der Knaap.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe basic characteristics which have been repeatedly observed in Dark Eyes and which, in combination, distinguish this Chrysanthemum plant over related known varieties and its antecedents are:
1. Flat capitulum form.
2. Anemone capitulum type.
3. Lavender ray floret color.
4. Darker contrasting disc floret color.
5. Diameter across face of capitulum 3.5-6.0 cm.
6. Branching pattern is spreading to upright with 4-7 breaks after a single pinch.
7. Flowering response is 56 to 60 days from the start of short days.
8. Plant height of 6.5 in. (16.5 cm) pot is about 40 cm with 1-2 applications of B-9 at 2500 ppm.
Horticultural examination of controlled flowerings of successive plantings has shown that the combination of characteristics and distinctions as herein disclosed for Dark Eyes are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGFIG. 1 is a photographic print in full color showing typical inflorescence and leaf characteristics of Dark Eyes grown as a pinched spray pot mum with 5 cuttings in a 6.5 inch (16.5 cm) pot, the colors being depicted as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in a color photograph of this character.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANTDark Eyes has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length.
The following is a detailed description of Dark Eyes, with color terminology in accordance with The Royal Horticulture Society Colour Chart, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are obvious. The following observations, measurements and comparisons were made of plants grown at Nipomo, Calif. in controlled environments. Unrooted cuttings were directly stuck into 6.5 inch (16.5 cm) pots and grown in a controlled environment under the natural temperature and day length prevailing during October to December of 1990.
Classification:
Botanical.--Dendranthema grandiflora cv. Dark Eyes.
Commercial.--Flat anemone to be grown as a spray pot or cut spray mum.
INFLORESCENCEA. Capitulum:
Form.--Flat.
Type.--Anemone.
Diameter across face: 35-60 mm when fully opened.
B. Corolla of ray florets:
Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--Lavender with dark purple eye.
Color.--Front: 75 C. Back 75 C with a 77 B stripe down the center.
Shape.--Oblong with a rounded tip.
C. Corolla of disc florets:
Color.--Medium lavender 75 C. Graduating to a very dark eye of 77 A.
D. Reproductive organs:
Androecium.--Present on disc florets only; insignificant.
Gynoecium.--Present on both ray and disc florets; insignificant.
PLANTA. General appearance:
Height.--When grown in 6.5 in. (16.5 cm) pots with 1-2 applications of B-9, the total plant height including the pot will be approximately 40 cm. When grown as a cut mum, the plant will be 1-1.5 meters high.
Branching pattern.--Spreading with 4-7 breaks after the pinch. As a cut flower the plant is normally grown unpinched, single stem with the top bud removed to form an open spray type form.
B. Foliage:
Color (upper surface): 147 A.
Color (lower surface): 147 B.
Shape.--see FIG. 1.
Dark Eyes can be well distinguished from other commercial Chrysanthemum cultivars, including Autumn Eyes (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 712,334 filed Jun. 7, 1991), Definite Eyes (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 712,086 filed Jun. 7, 1991), Quiet Eyes (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 712,052 filed Jun. 7, 1991), Tara (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,313), and Vibrant Eyes (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 712,901 filed Jun. 7, 1991). See in this regard the data presented in Table A hereafter. Also, the blossom coloration of Dark Eyes can be readily distinguished from Rave (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,738), and Remember (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,973) as described and illustrated in the respective U.S. Plant Patents.
Similar traits to the other above-mentioned Eye varieties are capitulum form and type (with the exception of Quiet Eyes which is a flat daisy type), branching pattern, and the distinctly contrasting center of the disc. However, each Eye variety varies in color of the disc and ray florets, making each a unique and different cultivar.
Similar traits to Tara are capitulum form and type, and branching pattern. Dark Eyes generally has more breaks per pinch, more disc florets, and is approximately 4 days slower than Tara. Tara tends to have more flowers per break than Dark Eyes. The coloration of the petals is very different between Tara and Dark Eyes.
TABLE A
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Characteristic
Autumn Eyes Dark Eyes Definite Eyes
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capitulum
flat flat flat
form
capitulum
anemone anemone anemone
type
diameter ca. 3.4 cm ca. 3.5-6.0 cm
4.0-7.0 cm
across face
branching
upright spreading upright and
pattern spreading
breaks/pinch
ca. 4.0 4-7 3-5
height in 6.5
30-40 cm ca. 40 cm 40-52 cm
in. (16.5 cm)
pot with 1-2
applications
of B-9
disc floret
golden 11 A medium 56 C on the
color tipped with lavender 75 C
outer petals
dark maroon 59
graduating to
graduating to a
A; eye is dark
a very dark eye
dark purple
maroon 59 A of 77 A; tube
eye of 59 A
75 C
no. disc ca. 171 ca. 145 ca. 255
florets
length disc
ca. 1.0 cm long
1.0-1.5 cm long
up to 2 cm long
florets
ray floret
front: golden
front: 75 C front: 69 D
color yellow 11 A back: 75 C with
back: some 70 C
back: pale a 77 B stripe
yellow 11 B down the center
no. ray ca. 22 24-27 average of 27.3
florets
shape ray
oblong with oblong with elliptic
florets rounded to flat
rounded tip
tip
length ray
1.0-1.5 cm long
up to 2.5 cm
up to 4 cm long
florets long
width ray
0.3-0.5 cm wide
up to 0.75 cm
up to 1.0 cm
florets wide wide
no. flowers/
ca. 9.6 average of 5.16
average of 5.3
break
leaf front: 147 A
front: 147 A
front: 147 A
color back: 147 B back: 147 B back: 147 B
leaf length
ca. 7.5 cm long
up to 8 cm long
up to 6 cm long
leaf width
ca. 5.0 cm wide
up to 4.5 cm
up to 4 cm wide
wide
response time
8.5 weeks 8.5 weeks 8.5 weeks
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Characteristic
Quiet Eyes Tara Vibrant Eyes
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capitulum
flat flat flat fresh;
form puffy rounded
old
capitulum
daisy anemone anemone
type
diameter 8-10 cm 5.0-6.5 cm 3-4 cm
across face
branching
spreading spreading upright to
pattern spreading
breaks/pinch
3-4 3-5 4-5
height in 6.5
ca. 40 cm ca. 37 cm 42-52 cm
in. (16.5 cm)
pot with 1-2
applications
of B-9
disc floret
lemon yellow
lemon yellow
from 155 D
color 1 A graduating
10 A graduating
to a large toward a dark
green eye of purple eye of
143 A 77 A
no. disc ca. 200 70-120 ca. 125
florets
length disc
1.3 cm long up to 1.5 cm
ca. 1 cm long
florets long
ray floret
front: 75 B front: 155 A
light pink to
color back: 75 D back: 155 D white;
front: 155 A
back: 155 B
bright green
ovary
no. ray 20-24 15-17 ca. 22
florets
shape ray
oblong elliptic oval with
florets rounded tip
length ray
up to 4 cm long
up to 3 cm long
up to 1.7 cm
florets long
width ray
up to 1.5 cm
up to 1 cm wide
up to 0.5 cm
florets wide wide
no. flowers/
ca. 5.2 ca. 11.3 ca. 8.4
break
leaf color
front: 147 A
front: 147 A
front: 147 A
back: 147 B back: 147 B back: 147 B
leaf length
up to 10 cm up to 9 cm long
up to 5.0 cm
long long
leaf width
up to 5.5 cm
up to 5 cm wide
up to 3.0 cm
wide wide
response time
8.2 weeks 8.0 weeks 8.0 weeks
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Claims
1. A new and distinct variety of Chrysanthemum plant, substantially as herein described and illustrated.
Type: Grant
Filed: Jun 7, 1991
Date of Patent: Jun 1, 1993
Assignee: Fides Beheer B.V. (De Lier)
Inventor: Jack Van Der Knaap (De Lier)
Primary Examiner: Howard J. Locker
Law Firm: Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis
Application Number: 7/712,903
International Classification: A01H 500;
