Chrysanthemum plant named `Cream Diamond`

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

#Cream Diamond, identified as 4001 (85-789G02), is a product of a mutation induction program. The new cultivar was discovered and selected by inventor Susan M. Polys on May 21, 1993 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 1750 rads in Fort Myers, Fla. on Nov. 19, 1992. The irradiated parent cultivar was the cultivar White Diamond, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,059, and described as a flat decorative disbud pot mum with a white flower color and a cream center of the flower.

#The irradiation program resulting in Cream Diamond 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 1484 cuttings harvested from a total of 225 irradiated plants were planted on Mar. 8, 1993. Of these, 35 initial selections were made, which selections were then revegetated and reflowered. Three consecutive flowerings resulted in discarding 34 of the original 35 selections on Jan. 24, 1994. Two of the original selections were reselected on Jan. 3, 1994, after which the original selections were discarded. The 1 remaining original selection and the 2 reselections were maintained as PIs (Possible Introductions) and further trialed in Salinas, Calif. and Leamington, Ontario, Canada, ultimately resulting in discarding one reselection on Dec. 2, 1994, one original selection on Mar. 29, 1995, and the decision to introduce the one remaining reselection as Cream Diamond.

#The accompanying photographic drawing is a side view of Cream Diamond, 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 Cream Diamond is the parent cultivar White Diamond. All traits of Cream Diamond are similar to those of White Diamond, except for the ray floret color. The ray floret color of Cream Diamond is cream-yellow (R.H.S. 5D), while the ray floret color of White Diamond is described as white (R.H.S. 155D), with a cream (R.H.S. 4D) center of the flower.

#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 17, 1995.

#Classification: