Chrysanthemum plant named `Bold Christine`

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

#Bold Christine, identified as 7994 (89-755I01), is a product of a mutation induction program. The new cultivar was discovered and selected by inventor Leon Glicenstein on Sep. 1, 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 Feb. 11, 1993 . The irradiated parent cultivar was the cultivar Christine, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,988 and described as a flat decorative garden mum with coral-red flower color.

#The irradiation program resulting in Bold Christine had as its primary objective the expansion of color ranges of the parent cultivar Christine. The irradiation program comprised irradiation of cuttings of the parent cultivar at irradiation levels of 1500, 1750 and 2000 rads. A total of 466 cuttings harvested from a total of 225 irradiated plants were planted on June 21, 1993. Of these, 4 initial selections were made, which selections were then revegetated and reflowered. One selection died during the revegetation process. Three consecutive flowerings resulted in discarding 1 of the original selections on Oct. 17, 1994. The remaining 2 selections were maintained as PIs (Possible Introductions) and further trialed in Salinas, Calif., Hightstown, N.J. and Leamington, Ontario, Canada, ultimately resulting in the decision to introduce one selection as Bold Christine, and the other selection as Blushing Christine, disclosed in pending application Ser. No. 08/605,611.

#The accompanying photographic drawing is a color photograph of Bold Christine grown as a pinched garden mum under natural season outside conditions in Salinas, Calif., with the colors being as nearly true as possible with illustrations of this type. Plants were grown outside and dug and transplanted in 15 cm pots for photography purposes.

#Of the commerical cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar in comparison to Bold Christine is the parent cultivar Christine. All traits of Bold Christine are similar to those of Christine, except for the ray floret color. The ray floret color of Bold Christine is dark red to greyed-red (R.H.S. between 46A and 180), while the ray floret color of Christine is described as coral-red (R.H.S. 51A to 51B).

#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 garden mum grown outdoors in Salinas, Calif. on Sep. 1, 1995.

#Classification: