Chrysanthemum plant named `Golden El Paso`

#The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora, and referred to by the culitivar name Golden El Paso.

#Golden El Paso, identified as 4049 (90-747A02), is a product of a mutation induction program. The new cultivar was discovered and selected by inventor Susan M. Polys on Dec. 21, 1992 in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif. as one flowering plant within a flowering block established as rooted cuttings from stock plants which had been exposed as unrooted cuttings to an X-ray source of 1500 rads in Fort Myers, Fla. on Aug. 6, 1992. The irradiated parent cultivar was the cultivar El Paso, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,831, and described as a flat decorative disbud pot mum with a light bronze flower color.

#The irradiation program resulting in Golden El Paso had as its primary objective the expansion of color ranges of the parent cultivar. The irradiation program comprised irradiation of cuttings of the parent cultivar at irradiation levels of 1500, 1750 and 2000 rads. A total of 721 cuttings harvested from a total of 225 irradiated plants were planted on Oct. 26, 1992. Of these, 10 initial selections were made, which selections were then revegetated and reflowered. Three consecutive flowerings resulted in discarding 9 of the original 10 selections on Aug. 23, 1993. One selection was reselected on Aug. 2, 1993, prior to discarding the original selection. The 1 remaining selection and the 1 reselection were maintained as PIs (Possible Introductions) and further trialed in Salinas, Calif. and Leamington, Ontario, Canada, ultimately resulting in discarding the one original selection on May 31, 1994, and the decision to introduce the one remaining reselection as Golden El Paso.

#The accompanying photographic drawing is a side view of Golden El Paso, grown as a disbudded pot mum with 4 cuttings in a 15 cm pot, with the colors being as nearly true as possible with illustrations of this type.

#Of the commercial cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar in comparison to Golden El Paso is the parent cultivar El Paso. All traits of Golden El Paso are similar to those of El Paso, except for the ray floret color. The ray floret color of Golden El Paso is yellow (R.H.S. 3A), while the ray floret color of El Paso is yellow-orange (R.H.S. 22B to 22C).

#In the following description color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart. The color values were determined on plant material grown as a pinched pot mum with 4 cuttings in a 15 cm pot in Salinas, Calif. on May 22, 1995.

#Classification: