Abstract:
A chrysanthemum plant named ‘AURORA PURPLE’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with purple ray florets and prolific branching; natural season flower date September 4-9; blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     ‘AURORA PURPLE’ is a product of a breeding and selection program for outdoor pot mums (garden mums) which had the objective of creating new chrysanthemum cultivars with a daisy type flower, a natural season flower date around September 4-9; blooming for a period of 5 weeks. The new plant of the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant. ‘AURORA PURPLE’ is a seedling resulting from the open pollination among groups of chrysanthemum cultivars maintained under the control of the inventor for breeding purposes. The new and distinct cultivar was discovered and selected as one flowering plant by Rob Noodelijk on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout, Holland in September 1998. 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 various stages of foliage and petiole 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 1999 and 2000. The natural blooming date of this crop was September 4-9 (week 36). The average height of the plants was 38-42 cms. 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 purple ray florets and a yellow disc-florets blooming for a period of 5 weeks. 
     From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivar in comparison to ‘AURORA PURPLE’ is ‘MAGGIE’ (pat.pend.). When ‘MAGGIE’ and ‘AURORA PURPLE’ are being compared the following differences are noticed: The differences of ‘MAGGIE’ and ‘AURORA PURPLE’ are (1) Natural blooming date. ‘AURORA PURPLE’ flowers earlier. (2) Flower color. ‘AURORA PURPLE’ has darker flowers. 
     The following is a description of the plant and characteristics that distinguish ‘AURORA PURPLE’ 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 tolorances. The color chart used in this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, edition 1995. 
     Table 1: Botanical Description of Cultivar ‘Aurora Purple’ 
     Bud: 
       Size .—Small; cross-section 0.7 cm, height 0.9 cm. 
       Outside color .—Red-purple 71 A. 
       Involucural bracts .—2 rows, length 7 mm, width 3 mm. 
       Involucral bracts among disc - florets .—Not present. 
       Involucral bracts color .—Green 138 A. 
     Bloom: 
       Type .—Daisy. 
       Height .—Flat, 1.2-1.5 cm. 
       Size .—Medium. 
       Fully expanded .—4.5-5.0 cm. 
       Number of blooms per branch .—Approx. 4-5 blooms per branch. 
       Performance on the plant  .—5 weeks. 
       Seeds  ( if crossed ).—Produced in large quantities, oval shaped. Grey-brown 199 A, 2 mm in length. 
       Fragrance .—Typical chrysanthemum, slight. 
     Color: 
       Center of the flower  ( disc - florets ).—Immature yellow-green 153 D. Mature yellow 9A. 
       Color of upper surface of the ray - florets .—Red-purple 61 A. 
       Color of the lower surface of the ray - florets .—Red-purple 70 B. 
       Tonality from distance .—A garden mum with purple flowers and a yellow disc. 
       Color of the upper surface of the flowers after aging of the plant .—Red-purple 70 B. 
     Ray florets: 
       Texture .—Upper and under side smooth. 
       Number .—24-27. 
       Cross - section .—Flat. 
       Longitudinal axis of majority .—Straight. 
       Length of corolla tube .—Short to long, 0.4-1.2 cm. 
       Ray - floret margin .—Entire. 
       Ray - floret length .—2.0-2.4 cm. 
       Ray - floret width .—0.4-0.7 cm. 
       Ratio length/width .—Medium. 
       Shape of tip .—Dentate. 
     Disc florets: 
       Disc diameter .—1.0-1.2 cm. 
       Distribution of disc florets .—Numerous, clearly visible at all stages of flowering. 
       Shape .—Tubular. 
       Color .—Yellow-green 153 D. 
       Receptacle shape .—Conical raised. 
     Reproductive organs: 
       Stamen  ( present in disc florets only ).—Thick, 4 mm in length. 
       Stamen color .—Yellow-green 144 A. 
       Pollen .—Present. 
       Pollen color .—Yellow 9 A. 
       Styles .—Thin. 
       Style color .—Yellow-green 144 A. 
       Stype length .—5 mm. 
       Stigmas .—Yellow-green 144 A. 
       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 .—38-42 cms. 
       Width .—36-40 cms. 
       Stem color .—Green 138 A. 
       Stem strength .—Medium. 
       Stem brittleness .—Absent. 
       Stem anthocyanin coloration .—Present, a thin layer of greyed-red 181 A mainly at the base of the stem. 
       Length of lateral branch .—From top to bottom 14-15 cm. 
       Lateral branch color .—Green 138 A. 
       Lateral branch, attachment .—Strong. 
       Branching  ( average number of lateral branches ).—Mounding and prolific with 9 breaks after pinching. 
       Peduncle length .—4.0-4.5 cm. 
       Peduncle color .—Green 138 A. 
       Natural season blooming date .—September 4-9. 
     Foliage: 
       Color of mature leaves .—Upper side green 147 A. Under side green 147 B. 
       Color of immature leaves .—Upper side green 138 A. Under side green 138 B. 
       Size .—Very small; length 4.0 cm, width 3.5 cm. 
       Quantity  ( number per lateral branch ).—5-6. 
       Shape .—Rounded. 
       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 .—Acute. 
       Apex .—Cuspidate. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Differences with the comparison varieties 
               
               
                 (when grown under the same conditions) 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 ‘AURORA PURPLE’ 
                 ‘MAGGIE’ (pat. pend.) 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Natural blooming 
                 September 4-9 
                 October 7-15 
               
               
                 date 
               
               
                 Color of the 
                 Red-purple 61 A 
                 Purple 75 A at the tips, 
               
               
                 upper surface of 
                   
                 to purple 75 D at the 
               
               
                 the ray-florets. 
                   
                 middle of the flower