Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yopatagonia’

A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yopatagonia’, characterized by its uniform and outwardly spreading plant habit; strong and freely branching growth habit; dark green-colored foliage; uniform flowering response and habit; can be grown as a disbud-type, spray-type or without bud removal; early flowering habit; large decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; dark purple-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for about three weeks in an interior environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemumplant, botanically known asChrysanthemum×morifoliumand hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yopatagonia’.

The newChrysanthemumis a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. The objective of the program is to create or discover new pottedChrysanthemumcultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit, numerous inflorescences, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast and uniform flowering response, and good postproduction longevity.

The newChrysanthemumoriginated from a cross-pollination made in February, 1999 in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietary selection ofChrysanthemum×morifoliumidentified as code number YB-4065, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection ofChrysanthemum×morifoliumidentified as code number YB-6489, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The newChrysanthemumwas discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in November, 1999. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast and uniform flowering response, and good postproduction longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the newChrysanthemumby vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Alva, Fla. in March, 2000. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that unique features of this newChrysanthemumare stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Yopatagonia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yopatagonia’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yopatagonia’ as a new and distinctChrysanthemum:1. Uniform and outwardly spreading plant habit.2. Strong and freely branching growth habit.3. Dark green-colored foliage.4. Uniform flowering response and habit.5. Can be grown as a disbud-type, spray-type or without bud removal.6. Early flowering, nine week response time.7. Large decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets.8. Dark purple-colored ray florets.9. Good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for about three weeks in an interior environment.

Plants of the newChrysanthemumcan be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the newChrysanthemumdiffer from plants of the female parent selection primarily in ray floret coloration as plants of the female parent selection have pink-colored ray florets. In addition, plants of the newChrysanthemumflower about two weeks later than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the newChrysanthemumcan be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the newChrysanthemumdiffer from plants of the male parent selection primarily in ray floret coloration as plants of the male parent selection have red-colored ray florets. In addition, plants of the newChrysanthemumare more compact than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the newChrysanthemumcan be compared to plants of the cultivar Delano, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,950. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the newChrysanthemumdiffered from plants of the cultivar Delano in the following characteristics:1. Plants of the newChrysanthemumwere more compact than plants of the cultivar Delano.2. Plants of the newChrysanthemumwere less vigorous than plants of the cultivar Delano.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown and flowered during the spring in Salinas, Calif., in a fiberglass-covered greenhouse and under conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial pottedChrysanthemumproduction. During the production of these plants, the following conditions were measured: day temperatures, 21 to 27° C.; night temperatures, 17 to 19° C.; and light levels, 5,000 to 6,000 foot-candles. Four unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in 15-cm containers, exposed to long day/short night conditions, and pinched once about two weeks later. At the time of the pinch, the photoinductive short day/long night treatments were initiated. Plants used for the description were grown as disbud-types. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical flowering plants.Botanical classification:Chrysanthemum×morifoliumcultivar Yopatagonia.Commercial classification: Decorative-type pottedChrysanthemum.Parentage:Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection ofChrysanthemum×morifoliumidentified as code number YB-4065, not patented.Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection ofChrysanthemum×morifoliumidentified as code number YB-6489, not patented.Propagation:Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten days at 21° C.Root description.—Fibrous; white, close to 155D, in color.Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.Plant description:Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative-type pottedChrysanthemumthat can be grown as a disbud-type, spray-type or without bud removal. Upright with lateral branches outwardly spreading; uniformly mounded crown. Strong and freely branching growth habit; about four lateral branches develop after removal of terminal apex (pinching); dense and full plants.Plant height.—About 30 cm.Plant width.—About 43 cm.Lateral branches(peduncles).—Length: About 20 cm. Diameter: About 4.5 mm. Internode length: About 2.4 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146A.Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length: About 8.2 cm. Width: About 5.75 cm. Apex: Cupsidate to mucronate. Base: Truncate with attenuate tendencies. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral lobes parallel to divergent. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: More green than 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147A. Venation, upper surface: Close to 147A. Venation, lower surface: Close to 146A. Petiole length: About 2.5 cm. Petiole diameter: About 3.5 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Petiole color, upper surface: Close to 147A. Petiole color, lower surface: Close to 146A.Inflorescence description:Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage. Disk and ray florets develop acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences not fragrant.Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Uniform and early flowering habit; plants exposed to two weeks of long day/short night conditions followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower about nine weeks later.Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color and substance for about three weeks in an interior environment.Quantity of inflorescences.—Grown as a disbud-type, only one inflorescence is allowed to develop per lateral branch.Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 9 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color: 146A to 147A.Inflorescence diameter.—Large, about 10.5 cm.Inflorescence height.—About 3.7 cm.Diameter of disc.—About 4 mm; inconspicuous.Receptacle diameter.—About 9 mm.Receptacle height.—About 7 mm.Ray florets.—Length: About 5.3 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Corolla tube length: About 7 mm. Shape: Elongate oblong. Apex: Emarginate or acute. Base: Fused into a corolla tube. Margin: Entire. Orientation: Initially upright to eventually perpendicular to the peduncle. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 202 arranged in numerous whorls. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: More purple than 61A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 71A.Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle. Length: About 7.5 mm. Diameter, apex: About 2.5 mm. Diameter, base: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Tubular; elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 15. Color: Immature: Close to 144A. Mature, apex: 9A. Mature, mid-section and base: Close to 155D.Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 28 arranged in about two to three whorls. Length: About 1.3 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Waxy, smooth. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 144A. Color, lower surface: 146A to 147A.Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 9A. Pollen amount: None observed. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Style length: About 5.5 mm. Style color: Close to 154D. Stigma color: Close to 9A.Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common toChrysanthemumshas not been observed on plants grown under commercial greenhouse conditions.