Chrysanthemum plant named Peach Cantata

A Chrysanthemum plant named Peach Cantata particularly characterized by its flat capitulum form; daisy capitulum type; soft coral-pink ray floret color; diameter across face of capitulum of 76 to 89 mm when fully opened, when grown as a single stem spray cut mum; photographic flowering response to short days when grown in Salinas, Calif., is 48 to 54 days after start of short days; flowering response in Bogota, Colombia is 64 to 67 days; plant height is 61 to 86 cm when grown in Salinas with 3 to 11 long days prior to start of short days; height is 102 to 112 cm when grown in Bogota with 14 to 15 long days prior to start of short days; peduncle length of the first lateral at flowering after removing the apical bud without growth regulator applications is 5 to 15 cm when grown in Salinas, and 13 to 20 cm when grown in Bogota; peduncle length of the fourth lateral at flowering is 8 to 20 cm when grown in Salinas, and 20 to 23 cm when grown in Bogota; and excellent tolerance to low night temperature for bud initiation and flower development.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of 
Chrysanthemum, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora, and referred 
to by the cultivar name Peach Cantata. 
Peach Cantata, identified as 3408 (87-512C07), is a product of a mutation 
induction program. The new cultivar was discovered and selected by 
Cornelis P. VandenBerg on Oct. 25, 1990, in a controlled environment in 
Salinas, Calif., as one flowering plant within a flowering block 
established as rooted cuttings from stock plants which had been exposed as 
unrooted cuttings to an X-ray source of 1500 rads in Fort Myers, Fla., on 
May 17, 1990. 
The irradiated parent cultivar was the cultivar identified as Cantata, 
disclosed in my Plant patent application Ser. No. 07/745,701, now U.S. 
Plant Pat. No. 8,172. Cantata can be described as a spray cut mum with a 
flat capitulum form; a daisy capitulum type, a light pink ray floret color 
in the red group; diameter across face of capitulum of 76 to 89 mm when 
fully opened; flowering response period of 46 to 54 days after start of 
short days in Salinas, Calif., and of 59 to 66 days in Bogota, Colombia; 
plant height of 69 to 97 cm when grown in Salinas with 3 to 11 long days 
prior to start of short days, and 94 to 107 cm when grown in Bogota with 
14 to 15 long days prior to start of short days; and excellent tolerance 
to low night temperatures for bud initiation and flower development. The 
foregoing description of Cantata has a somewhat wider range of 
measurements than the description of Cantata in the pending application 
noted. This is based on the continued flowering trials for Cantata after 
preparing and filing the application for Cantata. 
The irradiation program resulting in Peach Cantata had as its primary 
objective the expansion of color ranges of the parent cultivar Cantata. 
The irradiation program comprised irradiating cuttings of the parent 
cultivar at irradation levels of 1500, 1750 and 2000 rads. A total of 
1,966 cuttings harvested from a total of 225 irradiated plants were 
planted on Aug. 27, 1990, Aug. 13, 1990 and Aug. 13, 1990, respectively. 
Of these, 23 initial selections were made, which selections were then 
revegetated and reflowered. Three consecutive flowerings resulted in 
discarding 20 of the original 23 selections on Jul. 26, 1991, while 3 
codes were retained as PI (Possible Introduction) status. The three 
retained codes were further tested in Salinas, Calif., and in Bogota, 
Colombia, ultimately resulting in the decision to introduce all three 
remaining selections as Peach Cantata, White Cantata and Lemon Cantata. 
The latter two cultivars are disclosed in pending plant patent 
applications. 
The first act of asexual reproduction of Peach Cantata was accomplished 
when vegetative cuttings were taken from the original selection in 
December 1990 in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif., by 
technicians working under supervision of Cornelis P. VandenBerg. 
Horticultural examination of controlled flowerings of successive plantings 
has shown that the unique combination of characteristics as herein 
disclosed for Peach Cantata are firmly fixed and are retained through 
successive generations of asexual reproduction. 
Peach Cantata has now been observed under all possible environmental 
conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in 
environment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength, without, 
however, any variance in genotype. 
The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe plants 
grown in Salinas, Calif., and in Bogota, Colombia, under greenhouse 
conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial greenhouse 
practice. The low night temperature tolerance was determined in repeated 
flowerings in Bogota, Colombia at temperatures as low as 5-10 degrees 
Celsius. 
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be 
basic characteristics of Peach Cantata, which, in combination, distinguish 
this Chrysanthemum as a new and distinct cultivar: 
1. Flat capitulum form. 
2. Daisy capitulum type. 
3. Soft coral-pink ray floret color. 
4. Diameter across face of capitulum of 76 to 89 mm when fully opened, when 
grown as a single stem spray cut mum. 
5. Photoperiodic flowering response to short days when grown in Salinas, 
Calif., is 48 to 54 days after start of short days. Flowering response in 
Bogota, Colombia is 64 to 67 days. 
6. Plant height is 61 to 86 cm when grown in Salinas with 3 to 11 long days 
prior to start of short days; height is 102 to 112 cm when grown in Bogota 
with 14 to 15 long days prior to start of short days. 
7. Peduncle length of the first lateral at flowering after removing the 
apical bud without growth regulator applications is 5 to 15 cm when grown 
in Salinas, and 13 to 20 cm when grown in Bogota. Peduncle length of the 
fourth lateral at flowering is 8 to 20 cm when grown in Salinas, and 20 to 
23 cm when grown in Bogota. 
8. Excellent tolerance to low night temperatures for bud initiation and 
flower development.

Of the commercial cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar in 
comparison to Peach Cantata is the parent cultivar Cantata. All traits of 
Peach Cantata are similar to those of Cantata, except for the ray floret 
color. Peach Cantata has a soft coral-pink ray floret color. When grown 
side by side with Cantata, Peach Cantata has been both slightly shorter 
and slightly taller in both Salinas and Bogota, but not consistently so. 
In the following description color references are made to The Royal 
Horticultural Society Colour Chart. The color values were determined on 
plant material grown as a single stem spray cut mum in Salinas, Calif. on 
Dec. 15, 1992. 
Classification: 
Botanical.--Dendranthema grandiflora cv Peach Cantata. 
Commercial.--Flat daisy cut spray mum. 
INFLORESCENCE 
A. Capitulum: 
Form.--Flat. 
Type.--Daisy. 
Diameter across face.--76 to 89 mm when fully opened. 
B. Corolla of ray florets: 
Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--Soft coral-pink. 
Color (upper surface).--36C to 36D, closer to 36D. 
Color (under surface).--36D. 
Shape.--Straight, oblong, slightly ribbed. 
C. Corolla of disc florets: 
Color (mature).--14A to 14B. 
Color (immature).--144B. 
D. Reproductive organs: 
Androecium.--Present on disc florets only; moderate pollen. 
Gynoecium.--Present on both ray and disc florets. 
PLANT 
A. General appearance: 
Height.--61 to 86 cm when grown in Salinas with 3 to 11 long days prior to 
start of short days; height is 102 to 112 cm when grown in Bogota with 14 
to 15 long days prior to start of short days. 
B. Foliage: 
Color (upper surface).--147A. 
Color (under surface).--147B.