Patent Publication Number: US-PP16211-P2

Title: Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yosharon’

Description:
Botanical classification/cultivar designation:  Chrysanthemum×morifolium  cultivar Yosharon. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant, botanically known as  Chrysanthemum×morifolium , commercially known as a garden-type  Chrysanthemum  and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yosharon’. 
   The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type  Chrysanthemum  cultivars having inforescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret coloration and good garden performance. 
   The new  Chrysanthemum  originated from a cross-pollination made in January, 2000 in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietary  Chrysanthemum×morifolium  seedling selection identified as code number 97-L088, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the  Chrysanthemum×morifolium  cultivar Stacy, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,852, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new  Chrysanthemum  was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in October, 2000. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive floret coloration and good garden performance. 
   Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since January, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new  Chrysanthemum  are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The cultivar Yosharon has 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 ‘Yosharon’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yosharon’ as a new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum:  
         1. Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit.   2. Freely branching habit.   3. Freely flowering habit.   4. Large decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets.   5. Purple-colored ray florets.   6. Natural season flowering in mid-September in the Northern Hemisphere.   7. Good garden performance.       

   In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  differed from plants of the female parent, the selection identified as code number 97-L088, in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  were smaller and more rounded than plants of the female parent selection.   2. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  flowered about one month earlier than plants of the female parent selection.       

   In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  differed from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Stacy, in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  and the cultivar Stacey differed in inflorescence form as plants of the cultivar Stacy had daisy-type inflorescences.   2. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  flowered about ten days earlier than plants of the cultivar Stacy.   3. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  and the cultivar Stacy differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar Stacy had white and purple bi-colored ray florets.       

   Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  can be compared to plants of the  Chrysanthemum  cultivar Debonair, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,324. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  differed from plants of the cultivar Debonair in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  were smaller and more rounded than plants of the cultivar Debonair.   2. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  had larger inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Debonair.   3. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  flowered about three days earlier than plants of the cultivar Debonair.       

   Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  can also be compared to plants of the  Chrysanthemum  cultivar Cupidores, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,919. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  differed from plants of the cultivar Cupidores in the following characteristics:
         1. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  were more rounded than plants of the cultivar Cupidores.   2. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  had smaller inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Cupidores.   3. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  flowered more uniformly than plants of the cultivar Cupidores.   4. Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  flowered about five days later than plants of the cultivar Cupidores.   5. Ray florets of plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  were darker in color than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Cupidores.       

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS 
     The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new  Chrysanthemum . These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproduction of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new  Chrysanthemum.    
     The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Yosharon’ grown in a container. 
     The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of the cultivar ‘Yosharon’. 
   

   DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION 
   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. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada during the late summer and fall in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden-type  Chrysanthemum  production. One cutting was planted in a 15.25-cm container in mid-July. During the production of the plants, plants were exposed to natural season photoperiodic conditions with day temperatures averaging 26° C. and night averaging 18° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants.
     Botanical classification:  Chrysanthemum×morifolium  cultivar Yosharon.   Commercial classification: Decorative-type garden  Chrysanthemum.      Parentage:
             Female, or seed, parent.— Proprietary  Chrysanthemum×morifolium  seedling selection identified as code number 97-L088, not patented.     Male, or pollen, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium  cultivar Stacy, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,852.       
       Propagation:
             Type.— Terminal vegetative cuttings.     Time to initiate roots, year - round.— About four days at 21° C.     Time to produce a rooted cutting, year - round.— About ten to twelve days at 21° C.     Root description.— Fine, fibrous; white in color.     Rooting habit.— Freely branching.       
       Plant description:
             Plant form/growth habit.— Perennial herbaceous decorative-type garden  Chrysanthemum . Inverted triangle with rounded crown. Stems initially upright, then outwardly spreading. Freely branching with about 14 lateral branches per plant. Moderately vigorous.     Plant height.— About 17 cm.     Plant diameter.— About 28 cm.     Lateral branches.— Length: About 14.5 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Internode length: About 1.3 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.     Foliage description.— Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length: About 4.9 cm. Width: About 3.8 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base: Truncate. Margin: Palmately and deeply lobed; sinuses mostly divergent. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: More green than 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B. Venation, upper surface: Close to 146A. Venation, lower surface: Close to 146A to 146B. Petiole: Length: About 1.7 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to 146B.       
       Inflorescence description:
             Appearance.— Decorative-type inflorescence form with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray florets developing acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences face mostly upright or outwardly. Inflorescences hemispherical in shape. Freely flowering habit; about twelve inflorescences develop per lateral branch. Inflorescences persistent. Inflorescences not fragrant.     Flowering response.— Under natural season conditions, plants flower in mid-September in the Northern Hemisphere.     Inflorescence bud  ( before showing color ).—Height: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 9 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color (lower surface of phyllaries): Close to 147A.     Inflorescence size.— Diameter: About 5.2 cm. Depth (height): About 2.3 cm. Disc diameter: No disc florets observed. Receptacle diameter: About 6 mm. Receptacle height: About 6.5 mm.     Ray florets.— Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 2.5 cm. Corolla tube length: About 5 mm. Width: About 6.5 mm. Apex: Emarginate. Margin: Fused. Texture: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Surface: Initially concave, with development, convex. Orientation: Initially upright, then perpendicular to the peduncle to reflexed. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 205 in numerous whorls. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: 77A. Fully opened, upper surface: 77A to 77B; color becoming closer to 77B to 77C. Fully opened, lower surface: 77C to 77D.     Phyllaries.— Quantity per inflorescence: About 24. Length: About 8 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Deltoid, elongated. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: More green than 147A. Color, lower surface: Close to 147A.     Peduncle.— Length: First peduncle: About 4.25 cm. Fourth peduncle: About 6.25 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 9.1 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 45° from vertical. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.     Reproductive organs.— Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium: Present on ray florets.     Seed/fruit.— Seed and fruit production has not been observed.       
       Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  have not been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to  Chrysanthemums.      Garden performance: Plants of the new  Chrysanthemum  have been observed to be have good gardem performance and to be tolerant to rain, wind and temperatures ranging from 0 to greater than 38° C.