Abstract:
A chrysanthemum plant named ‘Ceecho’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with yellow-orange ray florets and prolific branching; natural season flower date August 15-25; blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     ‘Ceecho’ is a product of a breeding and selection program for outdoor pot mums (garden mums) that had the objective of creating new chrysanthemum cultivars with a daisy type flower, a natural season flower date around August 15-25 and a blooming for a period of 5 weeks. The new plant of the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant. ‘Ceecho’ is a seedling resulting from the open pollination among groups of chrysanthemum cultivars maintained under the control of the inventor for breeding purposes. The identity of the parent plants yielding this new chrysanthemum plant is unknown. The new and distinct cultivar was discovered and selected as one flowering plant by Rob Noodelijk on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout, Holland in August 2000. The plant has been asexually reproduced by cuttings in greenhouses at Rijsenhout, Holland. The new cultivar has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations. 
    
    
     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 petiole and foliage of the new cultivar. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     This new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classification  Chrysanthemum morifolium . The observations and measurements were gathered from plants grown out door in Rijsenhout, Holland under natural day length and temperature and planted week 22 in 2000 and 2001. The natural blooming date of this crop was August 15-25 (week 34). The average height of the plants was 28 cms. No growth retardants were used. No tests were done on disease or insect resistance or susceptibility. No tests were done on cold or drought tolerance. This new variety produces medium sized blooms with yellow-orange ray florets and a yellow center blooming for a period of 5 weeks. 
     From the cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar existing cultivar in comparison to ‘Ceecho’ is ‘Gabrielle’. When ‘Gabrielle’ and ‘Ceecho’ are compared, the following differences are noticed: The differences of ‘Gabrielle’ and ‘Ceecho’ are (1) Flower size and color. ‘Ceecho’ has smaller flowers. The upper side of the ray-florets of ‘Ceecho’ is more yellow and not so orange. (2) Natural blooming date. ‘Ceecho’ flowers much earlier than ‘Gabrielle’. 
     The following is a description of the plant and characteristics that distinguish ‘Ceecho’ 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, 1995 edition. 
     Table 1. Botanical Description of Cultivar ‘Ceecho’ 
     Bud: 
       Size .—Small; cross-section 0.9 cm, height 1.0 cm. 
       Outside color .—Orange-red 31A. 
       Involucral bracts .—2 rows, length 9 cm, width 3 mm. 
       Involucral bracts among disc - florets .—Not present. 
       Involucral bracts color .—Green 138B. 
     Bloom: 
       Type .—Daisy. 
       Height .—Medium, 1.5 cm. 
       Size .—Medium. 
       Fully expanded .—4.0-4.3 cm. 
       Number of blooms per branch .—Approx. 5-7 blooms per branch. 
       Performance on the plant .—5 weeks. 
       Seeds  ( if crossed ).—Produced in large quantities, ovate grey-brown 199A, 1½ mm in length. 
       Fragrance .—Typical chrysanthemum, slightly. 
     Color: 
       Center of the flower  ( disc - florets ).—Immature yellow 13A. Mature yellow 13A. 
       Color of upper surface of the ray - florets .—Yellow-orange 15A. 
       Color of the lower surface of the ray - florets .—Orange-red 31A. 
       Tonality from distance .—A garden mum with yellow-orange flowers and a yellow disc. 
       Color of the upper surface of the ray - florets after aging of the plant .—Yellow-orange 15B. 
     Ray florets: 
       Texture .—Upper and under side smooth. 
       Number .—32-34. 
       Cross - section .—Flat. 
       Longitudinal axis of majority .—Straight. 
       Length of corolla tube .—0.5 cm. 
       Ray - floret margin .—Entire. 
       Ray - floret length .—2.3-2.5 cm. 
       Ray - floret width .—0.6 cm. 
       Ratio length/width .—Medium. 
       Shape of tip .—Rounded. 
     Disc florets: 
       Disc diameter .—1.5 cm. 
       Distribution of disc florets .—Numerous, clearly visible at all stages of flowering. 
       Shape .—Tubular. 
       Color .—Yellow 13A. 
       Receptacle shape .—Domed Flat. 
     Reproductive organs: 
       Stamen  ( present in disc florets only ).—Thick, 4 mm in length. 
       Stamen color .—Yellow-green 144A. 
       Pollen .—Present. 
       Pollen color .—Yellow 7A. 
       Styles .—Thin. 
       Style color .—Yellow-green 144A. 
       Style length .—4 mm. 
       Stigma color .—Yellow-green 144A. 
       Stigma width .—1 mm. 
       Ovaries .—Enclosed in calyx. 
     Plant: 
       Shape .—Grown as a spray-type pot mum, outdoor mounded and round. 
       Growth habit .—Spreading. 
       Growth rate .—Rapid. 
       Height .—28 cm. 
       Width .—34-36 cm. 
       Stem color .—Yellow-green 148A. 
       Stem strength .—Strong. 
       Stem brittleness .—Present. 
       Stem anthocyanin coloration .—Absent. 
       Length of lateral branch .—From top to bottom 12-13 cm. 
       Lateral branch color .—Yellow-green 148A. 
       Lateral branch, attachment .—Brittle. 
       Branching  ( average number of lateral branches ).—Good with 6-7 breaks after pinching. 
       Peduncle length .—4.0-4.5 cm. 
       Peduncle color .—Yellow-green 148A. 
       Natural season blooming date .—August 15-25. 
     Foliage: 
       Color .—Upper side yellow-green 147A. Under side yellow-green 147B. 
       Size .—Small; length 4.5 cm, width 3.5 cm. 
       Quantity  ( number per lateral branch ).—8. 
       Shape .—Ovate. 
       Texture upper side .—Glabrous. 
       Texture under side .—Pubescent. 
       Venation arrangement .—Palmate. 
       Shape of the margin .—Serrated. 
       Shape of base of sinus between lateral lobes .—Round. 
       Margin of sinus between lateral lobes .—Diverging. 
       Shape of base .—Truncate. 
       Apex .—Mucronate. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Differences with the comparison varieties 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 ‘Ceecho’ 
                 ‘GABRIELLE’ 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Color of the upperside 
                 Yellow-orange 15A 
                 Greyed-orange 169A, with 
               
               
                 of the ray-florets 
                   
                 a pattern of yellow-orange 
               
               
                   
                   
                 16A 
               
               
                 Natural Blooming date 
                 August 15-25 
                 October 1-10