Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yophyllis’

A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yophyllis’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong to ligulate-shaped ray florets; coral pink-colored ray florets; and natural season flowering about September 11th in the Northern Hemisphere.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemumplant, botanically known asChrysanthemum×morifolium,commercially grown as a gardenChrysanthemumand hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yophyllis’.

The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-typeChrysanthemumcultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.

The newChrysanthemumoriginated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in January, 2003, in Salinas, Calif. of a proprietary selection ofChrysanthemum×morifoliumidentified as code number 00-M401, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with theChrysanthemum×morifoliumcultivar Atlantico, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/550,149, now abandoned, 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 in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in September, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the newChrysanthemumby vegetative cuttings was first conducted in Alva, Fla. in December, 2003. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this newChrysanthemumare stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yophyllis’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yophyllis’ as a new and distinct gardenChrysanthemumcultivar:1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.4. Daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong to ligulate-shaped ray florets.5. Coral pink-colored ray florets.6. Natural season flowering about September 11thin the Northern Hemisphere.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the newChrysanthemumdiffered from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:1. Plants of the newChrysanthemumwere smaller than plants of the female parent selection.2. Plants of the newChrysanthemumflowered more uniformly and about one week earlier than plants of the female parent selection when grown under natural season conditions.3. Plants of the newChrysanthemumand the female parent selection differed in inflorescence form.4. Ray florets of plants of the newChrysanthemumwere lighter in color than ray florets of plants of the female parent selection.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the newChrysanthemumdiffered from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Atlantico, in the following characteristics:1. Plants of the newChrysanthemumflowered earlier than plants of the cultivar Atlantico when grown under natural season conditions.2. Plants of the newChrysanthemumhad larger inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Atlantico.3. Plants of the newChrysanthemumand the cultivar Atlantico differed in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Atlantico had yellow bronze-colored ray florets.4. Ray floret color of plants of the newChrysanthemumfaded slower than ray floret color of plants of the cultivar Atlantico.

Plants of the newChrysanthemumcan be compared to plants of theChrysanthemumcultivar Yocamille, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,791. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the newChrysanthemumdiffered from plants of the cultivar Yocamille in the following characteristics:1. Plants of the newChrysanthemumflowered earlier than plants of the cultivar Yocamille when grown under natural season conditions.2. Plants of the newChrysanthemumand the cultivar Yocamille differed in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Yocamille had light pink-colored ray florets.3. Ray floret color of plants of the newChrysanthemumfaded slower than ray floret color of plants of the cultivar Yocamille.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Alva, Fla. during the winter in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial gardenChrysanthemumproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 27° C. and night temperatures averaged 18° C. Plants were grown in containers, exposed to long day/short night conditions and pinched about 17 days later. Three days before the pinch, the photoinductive short day/long night treatments were started. Plants used in the photographs and for the description were about three months old. 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.Botanical classification:Chrysanthemum×morifoliumcultivar Yophyllis.Parentage:Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection ofChrysanthemum×morifoliumidentified as code number 00-M401, not patented.Male, or pollen, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifoliumcultivar Atlantico, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/550,149, now abandoned.Propagation:Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.Time to initiate roots.—About four days at temperatures of about 21° C.Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About ten to twelve days at temperatures of about 21° C.Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.Rooting habit.—Freely branching.Plant description:Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type gardenChrysanthemum.Compact, stems upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly mounded appearance to the plant. Freely branching habit, about eight lateral branches develop after removal of terminal apex (pinching) each with numerous secondary laterals; dense and full plant habit. Moderately vigorous growth habit.Plant height.—About 14 cm.Plant width.—About 25 cm.Lateral branches.—Length: About 10.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About 9 mm. Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 4.1 cm. Width: About 3.6 cm. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate to attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral lobes parallel to divergent. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Fine pubescence; veins prominent on lower surface. Color: Developing foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 147A. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A; venation, close to 147B. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 147B. Petiole: Length: About 1.75 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: 147A to 147B. Color, lower surface: 147B.Inflorescence description:Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated oblong to ligulate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage. Disc and ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences faintly fragrant.Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants flower about September 11thin 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). Early flowering habit; plants exposed to photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower about 44 days later.Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color and substance for about 3.5 weeks in an outdoor nursery.Quantity of inflorescences.—About seven to ten inflorescences develop per lateral branch.Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 147A.Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.75 cm. Depth (height): About 8 mm. Disc diameter: About 1.1 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 3 mm. Receptacle height: About 4 mm.Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated-oblong to ligulate. Orientation: Initially upright, then about 90° from vertical or perpendicular to peduncle. Aspect: Initially incurved, then mostly flat. Length: About 2.4 cm. Width: About 5 mm. Apex: Emarginate, rounded or acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous, satiny. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 30 arranged in one or two whorls. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 50A to 50B. When opening, lower surface: Close to 50C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to between 50B and 65A; color becoming closer to 65B to 65C with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to between 50C and 65C.Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 1.25 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 87. Color, immature: Apex: Close to 145A. Mid-section: Close to 2A. Base: Close to 157A. Color, mature: Apex: Close to 9A. Mid-section and base: Close to 155D.Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 20 arranged in about two whorls. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Deltoid. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 138A; towards the margins, 157D. Color, lower surface: Close to 147A.Peduncles.—Length: About 3.2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong; flexible. Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 146A.Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: About five per floret. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: Close to 145D. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther color: Close to 9A. Pollen amount: None observed. Gynoecium: Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 3B. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: Close to 1C. Ovary color: Close to 157A.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 conditions.Garden performance: Plants of the newChrysanthemumhave demonstrated excellent garden performance and to tolerate temperatures from about 0° C. to about 38° C.