A chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zanmumadore Orange’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with bronze ray florets and dark centers and prolific branching; natural season flowering date October 2 (week 41); blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

RELATED CULTIVARS

The new plant is a flower color mutant of ‘Zanmumadore’ (unpatented)

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofchrysanthemumplant, botanically known asChrysanthemumxmorifoliumRamat, commercially known as a garden mum, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar denomination ‘Zanmumadore Orange’. ‘Zanmumadore Orange’ is a product of a breeding and selection program which had the objective of finding flower color mutants from existing parent plants. The new plant comprises a whole plant mutant of the parentchrysanthemumnamed ‘Zanmumadore’ (unpatented). Plants from the new cultivar ‘Zanmumadore Orange’ differ from plants of the parent in the color of the ray-florets. The ray-florets of the parent are pink, while those of the new plant are orange.

In order to obtain color ‘Zanmumadore Orange’ plants, unrooted cuttings of the parent plant were irradiated in April 2014 at Ziekenhuis, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, with gamma radiation at a dose of 15Gy. These treated cuttings were then planted in a controlled environment (greenhouse) in Rijsenhout, the Netherlands. In this population of planted cuttings, the new cultivar was discovered as a natural flower color mutant in October 2014 by Sjoukje Heimovaara. The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘Zanmumadore Orange’ was accomplished when after planting of ‘Zanmumadore Orange’ as a motherplant in December 2014, vegetative cuttings from this ‘Zanmumadore Orange’ were taken and propagated further in Rijsenhout, the Netherlands. In summer, about 6-8 days are needed to initiate roots in cuttings of the new cultivar, after another 5 days rooted plants are formed. The new cultivar has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The observations and measurements were gathered from plants in the period of 19 to 25 weeks of age grown outdoors in Rijsenhout, the Netherlands, under natural day length and temperature and planted in week 22 in 2017. The natural blooming date of this crop was October 2 (week 41). The average height of the plants was 25-30 cm. No growth retardants were used. No tests were done on disease or insects resistance or susceptibility. No tests were done on cold or drought resistance. This new variety produces medium sized blooms with bronze ray florets and a dark center blooming for a period of five weeks.

From the cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar existing cultivars in comparison to ‘Zanmumadore Orange’ are its parents ‘Zanmumadore’ and ‘Zanmumadore Red’ (unpatented). When ‘Zanmumadore’, ‘Zanmumadore Orange’ and ‘Zanmumadore Red’ are being compared the following differences are noticed: ray floret color in ‘Zanmumadore’ is pink, bronze in ‘Zanmumadore Orange’ and red in ‘Zanmumadore Red’.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics that distinguish ‘Zanmumadore Orange’ 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, sixth edition, 2015.