Abstract:
An  Aster  plant named ‘Cefortuna’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with purple ray-florets and yellow disc florets, which can be propagated by means of cuttings from cuttings and produced with a short period.

Description:
RELATED CULTIVARS  
       [0001]     ‘Cefortuna’ is developed from a breeding program for pot  asters  which has so far yielded the commercial varieties ‘Dynastaster’ (U.S. Plant patent apending), ‘Diamaster’ (U.S. Plant patent pending) and Dukaster (U.S. Plant patent pending).  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     ‘Cefortuna’ is a product of a breeding-program which had the objective of creating new  Aster  cultivars, which can be grown as pot plants and propagated by means of cuttings from cuttings, similar to the cultivation and propagation of all year round chrysanthemum. The new plant of the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of an  Aster  plant. ‘Cefortuna’ is a seedling from a cross of a breeding program maintained at Chrysanthemum Breeders Association Research BV, Rijsenhout, Holland. The female parent is 97.6128, a non-commercialized  aster  variety; the male parent is unknown, being a mixed population of a group of male parents. A comparison with parent  aster  97.6128 is also given in this application. The new and distinct cultivar was discovered and selected as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross by Harry W. M. van Straalen. in a controlled environment (greenhouse) in Rijsenhout, Holland in 2000. The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘Cefortuna’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in 2000 in a controlled environment in Rijsenhout, Holland.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present invention is a new and distinct variety of  Aster  bearing medium sized blooms with purple ray-florets and yellow disc florets, which can be propagated by a cutting from a cutting and produced as pot plants in 8 weeks time. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]     The present invention of a new and distinct variety of  Aster  is shown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true as possible with color photographs of this type.  
         [0005]      FIG. 1  shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.  
         [0007]      FIG. 3  shows the foliage of the new cultivar. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     This new variety of  Aster  is of the botanical classification  Aster novi - belgii  L. 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 39 days, after an average of 16 long days after sticking of the unrooted cuttings. Plants are pinched 10 days after sticking. Growth retardants were applied in an average dose of 1.5 gram/liter water, starting one week after pinching. The plants were observed (directly) during the flowering of this crop. The plant is susceptible to Powdery Mildew. No tests were done on cold or drought tolerance. This new variety produces medium sized blooms with purple ray-florets and yellow disc-florets blooming on the plant for 4 weeks. This new variety of  Aster  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. ‘Cefortuna’ can be planted with assimilation lightning (high pressure sodium lamps) between week 5 and week 35 under greenhouse conditions in Holland.  
         [0009]     From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivar in comparison to ‘Cefortuna’ are its female parent 97.6128 and the varieties ‘Dukaster’ and ‘Dynaster’. When these varieties are being compared with ‘Cefortuna’ the following differences are noticed: The differences between ‘Cefortuna’, 97.6128, ‘Dukaster’ and ‘Dynaster’ are (1) Flower color. (2) Growth habit. (3) Leaf width. (1) The color of the ray-florets of ‘Cefortuna’ is purple, while it is pink in ‘Dukaster’ and violet in 97.6128 and ‘Dynaster’. (2) The growth habit is upright and partially spreading in ‘Cefortuna’, while this is upright in 97.6128, ‘Dukaster’ and ‘Dynaster’ (3) The leaves of ‘Cefortuna’ and ‘Dynaster’ are of intermediate width, while those of 97.6128 are smaller, and those of ‘Dukaster’ are broader.  
         [0010]     The following is a description of the plant and characteristics that distinguish ‘Cefortuna’ 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 Colour Chart, edition 1995.  
                         TABLE 1                       Botanical Description of cultivar ‘Cefortuna’                                Bud           Size   Medium; Cross-section 0.3 cm, height           0.5 cm       Outside color   Purple-violet 81C       Involucral bracts   2 rows, length 4 mm, width 3 mm       Involucral bracts   Not present       among disc-florets       Involucral bracts color   Green 138 D       Bloom       Type   Daisy       Size   Medium       Fully expanded   2.5-3 cm       Number of blooms per branch   10-12       Peduncle length   3 cm       Peduncle color   Green 139 B       Peduncle angle   45°       Performance on the plant   4 weeks       Seeds   Produced in small quantities,           oval/ovate shaped, grey-brown           199 A, 1 mm. in length       Color       Center of the bloom   Immature Yellow-green 150C       (disc-florets)   Mature Yellow 1A       Color of the ray-florets   Upper surface: Red-purple 72B           Lower surface: Purple-violet 81C       Tonality from Distance   A pot aster with purple flowers and           a yellow disc       Color of the upper   Red-purple 72C       surface of the ray-florets       after aging of the plant       Ray florets       Number of whorls of   2       ray-florets       Texture   Upper and under side smooth       Number of ray-florets   20-30       Shape in cross-section   Straight       Curvature of longitudinal axis   Flat       Length of corolla tube   0.3 cm       Ray-floret length   1.5 cm       Ray-floret width   0.2 cm       Shape of tip   Pointed       Shape of apex   Acute       Disc florets       Disc diameter   0.7 cm       Distribution of disc florets   Numerous, clearly visible at all stages of           flowering       Shape   Tubular       Lenght   0.6 cm       Color   Yellow-green 145 D       Reproductive Organs       Stamen   Present in Disc florets only       Stamen color   Yellow 13 A       Pollen color   Yellow-orange 14 A       Styles   Present in both Ray- and Disc-florets       Style color   Yellow-green 150 D       Style length   0.6 cm       Ovaries   Enclosed in calyx       Calyx shape   Pappus       Calyx lenght   0.4 cm       Calyx color   Yellow-green 150 D       Plant       Form   A pot aster meant for indoor use       Growth habit   Upright and partially spreading       Growth rate   Vigorous       Height   22 cm       Width   17 cm       Internode lenght   1.5-2 cm       Stem diameter   2-3 mm       Stem color   Green 139 B       Stem strength   Strong       Stem brittleness   Not brittle       Stem anthocyanin coloration   Absent       Length of lateral branch   From top to bottom 18 cm       Lateral branch color   Green 139 B       Lateral branch, attachment   30-40°       Branching (average number of   Medium with 3 breaks after pinching       lateral branches)       Internode length   1 cm       Flowering Response (photo-   39 Days       periodic controlled crop,       not natural season)       Foliage       Leaf arrangement   Alternate       Color immature stage   Upper side Yellow-green 144 C           Under side Yellow-green 146 D       Color mature stage   Upper side Green 137 B           Under side Green 139 C       Color Midvein   Upper side Yellow-green 147 D           Under side Yellow-green 147 C       Size   Medium; length 5-7 cm, width 1-1.5 cm       Quantity (number per lateral   12       branch)       Shape   Elliptic       Texture upper side   Glabrous       Texture under side   Glabrous       Venation arrangement   Pinnately netted       Shape of the margin   Sinuate       Shape of Base   Attenuate       Apex   Acuminate                  
 
         [0011]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Differences with the comparison varieties 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 ‘Cefortuna’ 
                 97.6128 
                 ‘Dukaster’ 
                 ‘Dynaster’ 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Color upper 
                 Red-purple 
                 Violet-blue 
                 Purple-violet 
                 Violet-blue 
               
               
                 side ray-florets 
                 72B 
                 92A 
                 81A 
                 90A 
               
               
                 Growth habit 
                 Upright and 
                 Upright 
                 Upright 
                 Upright 
               
               
                   
                 spreading 
                 growing 
                 growing 
                 growing 
               
               
                 Leaf width 
                 1-1.5 cm 
                 0.6-1.2 cm 
                 2 cm 
                 1.5 cm