Patent Publication Number: US-PP20265-P2

Title: Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yellow Yocupertino’

Description:
Botanical designation:  Chrysanthemum×morifolium.    
   Cultivar denomination: ‘Yellow Yocupertino’. 
   Cross-reference to related applications: Title:  Chrysanthemum  Plant Named ‘Dark Orange Yocupertino’. Applicant: Wendy R. Bergman. Filed: Concurrently, U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/214,210. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant, botanically known as  Chrysanthemum×morifolium,  commercially grown as a pot-type  Chrysanthemum  and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yellow Yocupertino’. 
   The new  Chrysanthemum  is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the  Chrysanthemum×morifolium  cultivar ‘Yocupertino’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,489. The new  Chrysanthemum  was discovered and selected by the Inventor in a controlled greenhouse environment as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of ‘Yocupertino’ in December, 2004, in Fort Myers, Fla. 
   Asexual reproduction of the new  Chrysanthemum  by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment in Fort Myers, Fla. in March, 2005. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new  Chrysanthemum  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 ‘Yellow Yocupertino’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yellow Yocupertino’ as a new and distinct pot-type  Chrysanthemum  cultivar:
         1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit.   2. Strong and vigorous growth habit.   3. Freely branching habit.   4. Dark green-colored foliage.   5. Uniform, freely and early flowering habit.   6. Daisy-type inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray florets.   7. Excellent postproduction longevity with inflorescences maintaining good substance and color for about five weeks in an interior environment.       

   Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  differ from plants of the parent, ‘Yocupertino’, in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  flower more uniformly than plants of ‘Yocupertino’.   2. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  and ‘Yocupertino’ differ in ray floret color as plants of ‘Yocupertino’ have golden bronze-colored ray florets.       

   Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  differ from plants of  Chrysanthemum×morifolium  ‘Dark Orange Yocupertino’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12/214,210, primarily in ray floret color as plants of ‘Dark Orange Yocupertino’ have dark bronze-colored ray florets. 
   Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  can be compared to plants of  Chrysanthemum×morifolium  ‘Yochesapeake’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,535. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Fort Myers, Fla., plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  primarily from plants of ‘Yochesapeake’ in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  flowered one week earlier than plants of ‘Yochesapeake’.   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  were smaller than inflorescences of plants of ‘Yochesapeake’.       

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH 
     The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new  Chrysanthemum . 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 . The photograph comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Yellow Yocupertino’ grown in a container. 
   

   DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION 
   The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada during the autumn in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial pot-type  Chrysanthemum  production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from about 21° C. to 27° C., night temperatures ranged from about 17° C. to 19° C. and light levels ranged from 4,000 to 6,000 foot candles. Four unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in 15-containers, exposed to long day/short night conditions, and pinched about three weeks later. At the time of the pinch, the photoinductive short day/long night treatments were started. Plants used in the photograph and for the description were grown as natural sprays and were eleven weeks from planting. 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×morifolium  ‘Yellow Yocupertino’.   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of  Chrysanthemum×morifolium  ‘Yocupertino’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,489.   Propagation:
             Type. —Terminal vegetative cuttings.     Time to initiate roots. —About four days at temperatures of 21° C. Time to produce a rooted young plant: About ten days at temperatures of 21° C.     Root description. —Fine to thick, fibrous; white in color.     Rooting habit. —Freely branching; moderately dense.       
       Plant description:
             Appearance. —Herbaceous daisy pot-type  Chrysanthemum  typically grown as a natural spray type. Stems upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly mounded appearance to the plant. Freely branching habit, about five lateral branches develop after removal of terminal apex (pinching); dense and full plant habit. Strong and vigorous growth habit.     Plant height. —About 34 cm.     Plant width. —About 44 cm.     Lateral branches. —Length: About 27 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.       
       Foliage description:
             Arrangement. —Alternate, simple.     Length. —About 7.5 cm.     Width. —About 5.4 cm.     Shape. —Palmately lobed.     Apex. —Cuspidate.     Base. —Truncate.     Margin. —Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral lobes parallel to divergent.     Texture, upper and lower surfaces. —Fine pubescence; veins prominent on lower surface.     Color. —Developing leaves, upper surface: Darker than 147A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Darker than 147B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A; venation, close to 147A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 147B.     Petiole. —Length: About 2.4 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 147B, towards the margin, close to 147A. Color, lower surface: Close to 147B to 147C; towards the margin, close to 147B.       
       Inflorescence description:
             Appearance. —Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage. Disc and ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescence slightly fragrant; pleasant. Typically grown as a natural spray type.     Flowering response. —Under natural conditions, plants flower in the autumn/winter in 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 three weeks of long day/short night conditions followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower about seven weeks later.     Postproduction longevity. —Inflorescences maintain good color and substance for about five weeks in an interior environment.     Quantity of inflorescences. —Freely flowering, about ten inflorescences develop per lateral stem.     Inflorescence bud. —Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Darker than 141A.     Inflorescence size. —Diameter: About 7.2 cm. Depth (height): About 1.1 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.6 cm. Receptacle height: About 5 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 6 mm. Receptacle color: Close to 146C.     Ray florets. —Shape: Elongated oblong. Orientation: Initially upright, then with development, close to perpendicular from vertical. Aspect: Initially incurved, then mostly flat. Length: About 3.3 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Apex: Emarginate, acute or rounded. Base: Attenuate; short corolla tube. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 24 arranged in a single whorl. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 6A; color does not fade with development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 6C; color does not fade with development.     Disc florets. —Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle. Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About 6 mm. Width, apex: About 1.5 mm. Width, base: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 191. Color, immature: Apex: Close to 144A. Mid-section and base: Close to 155D. Color, mature: Apex: Close to 9A. Mid-section: Close to 154C. Base: Close to 155D.     Phyllaries. —Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 22 arranged in three whorls. Length: About 9 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 141A to 141B. Color, lower surface: Darker than 141A.     Peduncles. —Length: First peduncle: About 2.5 cm. Fourth peduncle: About 4.4 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 7.1 cm. Diameter (first peduncle): About 2 mm. Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.     Reproductive organs. —Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Stamen length: About 6 mm. Filament length: About 5 mm. Filament color: Close to 154D. Anther shape: Narrowly oblong. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 9A. Pollen amount: None observed. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 9A. Style length: About 6 mm. Style color: Close to 154D.     Seed/fruit. —Seed and fruit production has not been observed.       
       Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to  Chrysanthemums  has not been observed on plants grown under commercial conditions.   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  tolerate temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 38° C.