Patent Publication Number: US-PP21805-P2

Title: Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Caprice Pink’

Description:
Botanical designation:  Chrysanthemum×morifolium.    
     Cultivar denomination: ‘CAPRICE PINK’. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant, botanically known as  Chrysanthemum×morifolium , and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Caprice Pink’. 
     The new  Chrysanthemum  plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely flowering  Chrysanthemum  plants with unique and attractive ray floret coloration. 
     The new  Chrysanthemum  plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in October, 2002 of a proprietary selection of  Chrysanthemum×morifolium  identified as code number GE 94 3639PALI, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of  Chrysanthemum×morifolium  identified as code number CB 98 0175VEPU, not patented. The new  Chrysanthemum  plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in September, 2003. 
     Asexual reproduction of the new  Chrysanthemum  plant by vegetative cuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in January, 2004. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new  Chrysanthemum  plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype. 
     The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Caprice Pink’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Caprice Pink’ as a new and distinct  Chrysanthemum  cultivar:
         1. Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit.   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.   3. Uniform, freely and early flowering habit.   4. Large semi-double-type inflorescences with light pink to white-colored ray florets.       

     Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  differ from the female parent selection in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  are more rounded than and not as upright as plants of the female parent selection.   2. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  and the female parent selection differ in ray floret color as plants of the female parent selection have lavender-colored ray florets.       

     Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  differ from the male parent selection in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  have lighter green-colored leaves than plants of the male parent selection.   2. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  and the male parent selection differ in ray floret color as plants of the male parent selection have purple-colored ray florets.       

     Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  can be compared to plants of  Chrysanthemum×morifolium  ‘Yoroxanne’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,982. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium, plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  differed from plants of ‘Yoroxanne’ in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  were more rounded than plants of ‘Yoroxanne’.   2. Stems of plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  were more flexible than and not as brittle as stems of plants of ‘Yoroxanne’.   3. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  and ‘Yoroxanne’ differed in ray floret color as plants of ‘Yoroxanne’ had white-colored ray florets.       

    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH 
       The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new  Chrysanthemum  plant. This photograph shows the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new  Chrysanthemum  plant. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Caprice Pink’ grown in a container. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION 
     The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 19-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium during the summer and autumn under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 25° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 20° C. Plants were 15 weeks old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2005 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.
     Botanical classification:  Chrysanthemum×morifolium  ‘Caprice Pink’.   Parentage:
             Female, or seed, parent.— Proprietary selection of  Chrysanthemum×morifolium  identified as code number GE 94 3639PALI, not patented.     Male, or pollen, parent.— Proprietary selection of  Chrysanthemum×morifolium  identified as code number CB 98 0175VEPU, not patented.       
       Propagation:
             Type.— Terminal vegetative cuttings.     Time to initiate roots, summer.— About 14 days at temperatures of about 20° C.     Time to initiate roots, winter.— About 20 days at temperatures of about 20° C.     Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.— About 30 days at temperatures of about 20° C.     Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.— About 40 days at temperatures of about 20° C.     Root description.— Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.     Rooting habit.— Freely branching; moderately dense.       
       Plant description:
             Appearance.— Perennial semi-double-type  Chrysanthemum ; compact plant habit with stems upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly rounded appearance to the plant; very freely branching habit, about 25 primary lateral branches develop, each primary lateral branch with multiple secondary branches; pinching enhances lateral branch development; dense and full plant habit; strong and moderately vigorous growth habit.     Plant height.— About 35 cm.     Plant width.— About 50 cm.     Lateral branches.— Length: About 25 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 144A.     Leaves.— Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 2.5 cm to 5 cm. Width: About 2 cm to 3 cm. Apex: Rounded to cuspidate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed and serrate, sinuses between lateral lobes divergent to parallel. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent and rough. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137C. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137D. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137C; venation, close to 148C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 147B to 147C. Petiole: Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 146C. Color, lower surface: Close to 146D.       
       Inflorescence description:
             Appearance.— Semi-double-type inflorescence form; inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage; disc and ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.     Fragrance.— Faintly fragrant, pungent.     Flowering response.— Under natural season conditions, plants flower mid-September in Belgium.     Postproduction longevity.— Inflorescences maintain good color and substance for about 35 days in an outdoor nursery; inflorescences persistent.     Quantity of inflorescences.— About 20 inflorescences develop per lateral branch.     Inflorescence bud.— Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Shape: Globular. Color: Between 144A and 137C.     Inflorescence size.— Diameter: About 5 cm. Depth (height): About 3 cm. Disc diameter: About 2 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 3 mm. Receptacle height: About 2.5 mm to 3 mm. Receptacle color: Close to 144B.     Ray florets.— Length: About 1.5 cm to 2.2 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Oval. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Aspect: Mostly flat. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 150 arranged in about eight whorls. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to N155B overlain with close to 56C. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Between N199D to N155D; color becoming closer to N199D with development.     Disc florets.— Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm to 1 mm. Shape: Tubular, elongated; apices acute. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 50 to 75. Color: Apex: Close to 144C. Mid-section: Close to 5B. Base: Close to 145D.     Phyllaries.— Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 25 arranged in two or three whorls. Length: About 4 mm to 6 mm. Width: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Rounded to truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to 137A. Color, lower surface: Close to N137B.     Peduncles.— Length, terminal peduncle: About 4 cm. Length, fourth peduncle: About 6 cm. Length, seventh peduncle: About 8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle: About 30° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent. Color: Close to 146B.     Reproductive organs.— Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium: Not observed.     Seed/fruit.— Seed and fruit production have not been observed.       
       Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to  Chrysanthemums  has not been observed on plants grown under commercial conditions.   Garden performance: Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  have demonstrated excellent garden performance and will tolerate temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 45° C.