Chrysanthemum plant named Vibrant Eyes

A new and distinct variety of Chrysanthemum plant. The new plant is characterized by its flat capitulum form, anemone capitulum type, white to pale pink ray floret color, white disc floret color graduating to a dark purple eye, a diameter across face of capitulum of 3.0-4.0 cm, upright to spreading branching pattern with ca. 4-5 breaks after a single pinch, flowering response of ca. 56 days from the start of short days, and plant height for 6.5 in (16.5 cm) pot of 45-52 cm with 1-2 applications of B-9 at 2500 ppm.

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Description
BACKGROUND

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 `Vibrant Eyes.`

2. Background of the New Plant

Vibrant Eyes, identified as 87.2806 was originated from a cross made by Jack Van Der Knaap in a controlled breeding program at De Lier, Holland in 1986.

The female parent of Vibrant Eyes was Runaway (non-patented in the United States), and the male parent was an unnamed selection #85.2006.

Vibrant Eyes was discovered and selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross by Jack Van Der Knaap in September of 1987 in a controlled environment at De Lier, Holland.

The first asexual reproduction of Vibrant Eyes was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken in November of 1987 in a controlled environment at De Lier, Holland by technicians working under the direction and supervision of Jack Van Der Knaap.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The basic characteristics which have been repeatedly observed in Vibrant 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. White to pale pink ray floret color.

4. Disc floret color, white graduating to a dark purple eye.

5. Diameter across face of capitulum, 3.0-4.0 cm.

6. Branching pattern is upright to spreading with ca. 4-5 breaks after a single pinch.

7. Flowering response is ca. 56 days from the start of short days.

8. Plant height of 6.5 in. (16.5 cm) pot is 45-52 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 Vibrant Eyes are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a photographic print in full color showing typical inflorescence and leaf characteristics of Vibrant 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 PLANT

Vibrant 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 Vibrant Eyes, with color terminology in accordance with The Royal Horticultural 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. Vibrant Eyes.

Commercial.--Flat anemone to be grown as a spray pot.

INFLORESCENCE

A. Capitulum:

Form.--Flat fresh, puffy and rounded when old.

Type.--Anemone.

Diameter across face.--3-4 cm when fully opened.

B. Corolla of ray florets:

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--White to light pink graduating to a dark purple eye.

Color.--Front: 155 A. Back: 155 B.

Shape.--Oval with a rounded tip.

C. Corrola of disc florets:

Color.--155 A tube with 53 C tips.

D. Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--Present on disc florets only; insignificant.

Gynoecium.--Present on both ray and disc florets; insignificant.

PLANT

A. 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 ca. 45-52 cm.

Branching pattern.--Upright to spreading with 4-5 breaks after the pinch.

B. Foliage:

Color (upper surface).--147 A.

Color (lower surface).--147 B.

Shape.--See FIG. 1. Up to 5.0 cm long. Up to 3.0 cm wide.

Vibrant 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), Dark Eyes (U.S. plant patent application Ser. No. 712,903, 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), and Tara (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,313). See in this regard the data presented in Table A hereafter. Also, the blossom coloration of Vibrant Eyes can be readily distinguished from Penny Lane (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,238), and Tree Lane (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,304) as described in the respective U.S. Plant Patents. Also, the foliage of Vibrant Eyes is smaller and its response time is eight weeks instead of nine weeks.

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. Vibrant Eyes generally has one more break per pinch and generally has more disc and ray florets per flower. The ray florets of Vibrant Eyes are shorter by an average of 1.3 cm. Vibrant Eyes will flower at about the same time as Tara, and has fewer flowers per break than Tara. The coloration of the petals is very different between Tara and Vibrant Eyes.

                TABLE A                                                     
     ______________________________________                                    
     Characteristic                                                            
              Autumn Eyes Dark Eyes   Definite Eyes                            
     ______________________________________                                    
     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                                
     ______________________________________                                    
     Characteristic                                                            
              Quiet Eyes  Tara        Vibrant Eyes                             
     ______________________________________                                    
     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                                
     ______________________________________                                    

Claims

1. A new and distinct variety of Chrysanthemum plant, substantially as herein described and illustrated.

Referenced Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
PP6238 August 2, 1988 Van der Knapp
PP6304 September 20, 1988 Van der Knaap
Patent History
Patent number: PP8245
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: 7/712,901
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Plt/821
International Classification: A01H 500;