Chrysanthemum plant named `Mariyo`

Abstract

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named `Mariyo`, characterized by its uniformly mounded, dense and relatively compact plant habit; relatively early flowering; decorative-type inflorescences that are about 4.7 cm in diameter; attractive white ray florets; and numerous inflorescences per plant.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora and referred to by the cultivar name Mariyo.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms and floret colors and good garden performance.

The new cultivar originated from a cross made by the Inventor in November, 1993, of the Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Linda (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,294) as the female, or seed, parent with the Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Jessica (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,587) as the male, or pollen, parent.

The cultivar Mariyo was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif., in January, 1995. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form and ray floret color.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif., 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 Mariyo 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 `Mariyo`. These characteristics in combination distinguish `Mariyo` as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Uniformly mounded and dense plant habit.

2. Relatively early flowering.

3. Decorative-type inflorescences that are about 4.7 cm in diameter.

4. Attractive white ray florets.

5. Numerous inflorescences per plant.

The new Chrysanthemum is similar in ray floret color and form to the parent cultivar Linda. However in side-by-side comparisons under commercial practice, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Linda in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower earlier than plants of the cultivar Linda grown under natural season conditions.

2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower more uniformly than plants of the cultivar Linda.

3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are slightly more cream color when opening than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Linda.

The new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Nicole, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,517. However in side-by-side comparisons under commercial practice, plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower more uniformly, have longer inflorescence longevity and flower about 5 days later than plants of the cultivar Nicole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of `Mariyo`.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of the cultivar `Mariyo`. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Floret and foliage colors in the photographs may differ from the actual colors due to light reflectance.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada, under conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial garden Chrysanthemum production. One rooted cutting was planted in a 15-cm container on Jul. 20, 1998 and plants were grown outdoors under natural season conditions. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering containers.

Botanical classification: Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Mariyo.

Commercial classification: Decorative-type garden chrysanthemum.

Parentage:

Female or seed parent.--Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Linda, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,294.

Male or pollen parent.--Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Jessica, disclosed in U.S Plant Pat. No. 7,587.

Propagation:

Type.--Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.--Seven to ten days with soil temperatures of 21°C

Rooting habit.--Fine, fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Appearance.--Perennial herbaceous decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum. Inverted triangle. Stems initially upright, then outwardly spreading giving a uniformly mounded appearance to the plant. Relatively compact. Freely branching with lateral branches potentially developing at every node, when pinched, about 8 laterals develop.

Plant height.--About 28 cm.

Plant spread.--About 39 cm.

Foliage description.--Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length: About 4.75 cm. Width: About 3.75 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses parallel to divergent. Texture: Upper surface sparsely pubescent; lower surface moderately pubescent. Veins prominent on lower surface. Petiole length: About 1.5 cm. Petiole diameter: About 2.5 mm. Color: Young foliage upper surface: 147A. Young foliage lower surface: 147B. Mature foliage upper surface: 147A. Mature foliage lower surface: 147B. Venation upper surface: 147A/147B. Venation lower surface: 147B.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.--Decorative-type inflorescence form with oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disk and ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum. One inflorescence per terminal with numerous inflorescences per plant, about 8 per lateral stem.

Flowering response.--Under natural season conditions, plants flower in mid September in the Northern Hemisphere, about 63 days after planting, and flower for at least three weeks depending on weather conditions.

Inflorescence bud (before sharing color).--Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 9 mm. Phyllary color: Darker than 143A.

Inflorescence size.--Diameter: About 4.7 cm. Depth (height): About 1.4 cm.

Ray florets.--Shape: Oblong, short corolla tube; concave. Length: About 2.2 cm. Width: About 6.5 mm. Apex: Dentate. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Orientation: Initially upright, then horizontal. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: Usually more than 200. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 8B to 8C. Opened inflorescence, upper and lower surfaces: White, close to 155D.

Disc florets.--None observed.

Peduncle.--Aspect: Flexible, angled about 45° to the stem. Length: First peduncle: About 10.8 cm. Fourth peduncle: About 15 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 143A.

Reproductive organs.--Androecium: None, no disc florets observed. Gynoecium: Present on ray florets.

Disease resistance: Resistance to known Chrysanthemum diseases has not been observed on plants grown under commercial production conditions.

Seed production: Seed production has not been observed.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named `Mariyo`, as illustrated and described.