Patent Publication Number: US-7998-P

Title: Chrysanthemum plant -- Cream Daymark cultivar

Description:
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Dendranthema morifolium Ramat., and hereinafter is referred to by the cultivar name Cream Daymark. 
     The new cultivar is a mutation which was induced in a plant of the Daymark cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,240) by irradiation with x-rays at a level of 1750 rads. The discovery of the new cultivar was made at De Lier, The Netherlands, during August, 1985. As discussed hereafter, this discovery resulted in the identification of a single plant of the new cultivar. 
     It has been found that the new cultivar of the present invention: 
     (a) exhibits attractive light yellow ray and disc florets which can be distinguished from the white blossom coloration of the Daymark cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,240), and 
     (b) exhibits a more compact growth habit with less vegetative growth and assumes a lesser plant height than the Daymark cultivar under the same growing conditions. 
     This combination of characteristics is capable of well distinguishing the new Cream Daymark cultivar from the parent Daymark cultivar and from all other known Chrysanthemum cultivars. 
     The new cultivar is particularly suited for use in the production of a cut anemone spray. 
     Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings, as performed at De Lier, The Netherlands, has demonstrated that the characteristics of the new cultivar as herein disclosed are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual propagation. 
     Cream Daymark has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature, light, day length, contact with pesticides and/or subjection to growth retardant treatments. 
     In my companion application Ser. No. 07/577,696, filed concurrently herewith, entitled &#34;Chrysanthemum Plant--Yellow Daymark Cultivar&#34; is claimed a related cultivar in which the ray and disc florets exhibit a distinctive bright yellow coloration. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH 
     The accompanying photograph shows as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in a color illustration of this character, a typical specimen of an overall plant of the new cultivar. The plant was grown in a greenhouse at De Lier, The Netherlands. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The chart used in the identification of colors described hereafter is the R.H.S. Colour chart of the Royal Horticultural Society, London, England. The color values were determined at 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 under natural daylight condition, at De Lier, The Netherlands. 
     Classification: 
     Botanical.--Dendranthema morifolium Ramat., cv. Cream Daymark. 
     Commercial.--Cut anemone spray. 
     INFLORESCENCE 
     A. Capitulum: 
     Form.--Flat. 
     Type.--Anemone. 
     Diameter across face.--Approximately 70 mm. on average. 
     Diameter across disc.--Approximately 26 mm. on average. 
     B. Corolla of ray and disc florets: 
     Color(General tonality from a distance of one meter).--Light yellow. 
     Color ray (top surface).--Approximates Yellow Group 5D. 
     Color ray (under surface).--Approximates Yellow Group 5D. 
     Color (disc).--Yellow-Green Group 145A changing to Yellow Group 4C. 
     Number of ray florets.--Approximately 30 on average. 
     Number of ray florets.--approximately 130 to 140 on average. 
     C. Reproductive organs: 
     Androecium.--Present in disc florets; numerous. 
     Gynoecium.--Present in both disc and ray florets; numerous. 
     PLANT 
     A. General appearance: 
     Height.--Approximately 80 cm. on average. 
     B. Foliage 
     Color (upper surface).--Yellow-Green Group 147A. 
     Leaf size.--Approximately 120×90 mm. on average. 
     Branching laterals.--Approximately 20 on average. 
     C. Response time: 
     The response time is approximately 8 weeks. 
     The plants of the new Cream Daymark cultivar can be distinguished from the parent Daymark cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,240) as well as its sister Yellow Daymark cultivar (Ser. No. 577,696, filed Sep. 5, 1990), both with respect to blossom coloration and other characteristics. The following data was obtained during November 1991 by a comparison of plants of the Daymark, Cream Daymark, and Yellow Daymark cultivars growing in a nursery at De Lier, The Netherlands. 
     
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                 CREAM       YELLOW                                       
       DAYMARK   DAYMARK     DAYMARK                                      
       Cultivar  Cultivar    Cultivar                                     
______________________________________                                    
Ray Floret                                                                
         White Group Yellow Group                                         
                                 Yellow Group                             
Coloration                                                                
         155D        5D          3B                                       
Disc Floret                                                               
         Yellow-Green                                                     
                     Yellow-Green                                         
                                 Yellow-Green                             
Coloration                                                                
         Group 145D  Group 145A  Group 154C                               
         changing to changing to changing to                              
         White Group Yellow Group                                         
                                 Yellow Group                             
         155A        4C          6C                                       
Plant Height                                                              
         85-90 cm.   80 cm.      80-85 cm.                                
at Harvest                                                                
Stage                                                                     
Number of                                                                 
         25          30          34                                       
Ray Forets                                                                
(on average)                                                              
Number of                                                                 
         110-120     130-140     140-150                                  
Disc Florets                                                              
(on average)                                                              
Flower   75 mm.      70 mm.      70 mm.                                   
Diameter                                                                  
Disc     22 mm.      26 mm.      26 mm.                                   
Diameter                                                                  
Number of                                                                 
         18          20          16                                       
Laterals                                                                  
(average)                                                                 
Typical Leaf                                                              
         110 × 80 mm.                                               
                     120 × 90 mm.                                   
                                 120 × 80 mm.                       
Size                                                                      
Foliage  Yellow-Green                                                     
                     Yellow-Green                                         
                                 Yellow-Green                             
Coloration                                                                
         Group 147A  Group 147A  Group 147A                               
Response 71/2 weeks  8 weeks     8 weeks                                  
Time                                                                      
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     No clear distinctions with respect to petal shape and disease resistance have been observed to date with respect to the Daymark, Cream Daymark and Yellow Daymark cultivars.