A Chrysanthemum Plant Named ‘Zanmupumpkin’ Has Bronze Ray Florets

Summary: A chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zanmupumpkin,’ a cultivated mum variety by Dutch breeder Henricus Cornelius Maria Jacobs, has bronze ray florets.

top perspective view of 18-week-old ‘Zanmupumpkin’ plant; image included in patent application, filed Dec. 30, 2013, with United States Patent and Trademark Office: Chrysanthemum Breeders Association Research B.V., Public Domain, via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

A chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zanmupumpkin’ is a cultivated variety of garden mum (Chrysanthemum x morifolium) by Dutch breeder Henricus Cornelius Maria Jacobs that has showy bronze ray florets and brown green leaves.

On Dec. 30, 2013, Chrysanthemum Breeders Association Research B.V. of Valkenburg, South Holland province, midwestern Netherlands, filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zanmupumpkin’ and invented by Henricus Cornelius Maria Jacobs. Primary examiner Keith Robinson reviewed the application for patenting ‘Zanmupumpkin.’ On June 28, 2016, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted patent PP26,884 for a chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zanmupumpkin.’

A cross of an unpatented female Chrysanthemum x morifolium plant, identified as 24577, with an unpatented male Chrysanthemum x morifolium plant, identified as 17159, produces a seedling, now known as ‘Zanmupumpkin.’ In 2008, inventor Henricus Cornelius Maria Jacob discovered and selected the young flowering plant on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout, North Holland province, northwestern Netherlands. Propagation by vegetative cuttings demonstrated stable and true reproduction of the new cultivar’s distinctive characteristics over successive generations.

Comparison of ‘Zanmupumpkin’ with parent plants reveals differences. Female parent plants display a more compact shape than that of the seedling. Ray floret coloring is bronze for ‘Zanmupumpkin’ but salmon for male parent plants.

The patent application’s description is based upon plants, aged 17 to 24 weeks, that were grown outdoors in Rijsenhout. Planting occurred in week 23, at the beginning of June, in 2013. Plants received drip irrigation. Natural blooming occurred during targeted week 39, from Sept. 23 to 27. Blooming lasted for the targeted duration of five weeks.

A chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zanmupumpkin’ presents a spherical shape with a high growth rate. Plant height reaches 45 centimeters (17.71 inches). ‘Zanmupumpkin’ spreads to a width of 60 centimeters (23.62 inches).

Brittle stems are gray brown (Royal Horticultural Society color 199A). Lateral branches are brown green (RHS 137C). About 25 to 30 leaves adorn each lateral branch.

Elliptically-shaped leaves are small, with lengths of 4.5 to 8.5 centimeters (1.77 to 3.34 inches). Widths are 2 to 4 centimeters (0.78 to 1.57 inches).

Leaf uppersides are brown green (RHS 138A) with brown green (RHS 147D) midvein coloring. Leaf undersides are brown green (RHS 139C) with brown green (RHS 148D) midvein coloring.

Flower heads comprise ray florets. No disc florets are observed. The National Chrysanthemum Society, USA, notes that all chrysanthemum classes have both disc and ray florets. Disc florets, however, are not apparent in many of the 13 classes.

‘Zanmupumpkin’ puts forth about 6 to 7 inflorescences per branch. Each flower head comprises 110 to 120 ray florets.

Ray florets have an elliptical shape that is typed as ligulate, or strap-shaped. Florets have smooth upper and lower surfaces. Margins are smooth, described as entire.

Ray floret length measures 1.2 to 2.4 centimeters (0.47 to 0.94 inches). Widths range from 2 to 5 millimeters (0.078 to 0.19 inches).

Upper surfaces of ray florets are brown (RHS 172B). Lower surfaces are light yellow brown (RHS 162B) at the base and yellow brown (RHS 163A) at the tip. Ray floret color becomes light yellow brown (RHS 163B) after aging of the plant.

A chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zanmupumpkin’ makes pleasing contributions to autumnal garden spaces for five weeks beginning in late September. Tonality from a distance is an appealing profusion of decorative bronze flowers.

stages of floral (left) and folial (right) growth of ‘Zanmupumpkin’; images included in patent application, filed Dec. 30, 2013, with United States Patent and Trademark Office: Chrysanthemum Breeders Association Research B.V., Public Domain, via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

top perspective view of 18-week-old ‘Zanmupumpkin’ plant; image included in patent application, filed Dec. 30, 2013, with United States Patent and Trademark Office: Chrysanthemum Breeders Association Research B.V., Public Domain, via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office @ http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=PP026884

stages of floral (left) and folial (right) growth of ‘Zanmupumpkin’; images included in patent application, filed Dec. 30, 2013, with United States Patent and Trademark Office: Chrysanthemum Breeders Association Research B.V., Public Domain, via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office @ http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=PP026884

For further information:

“Chrysanthemum.” New World Encyclopedia.
Available @ http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Chrysanthemum

“Chrysanthemum Classifications.” New York Botanical Garden Mertz LibGuides > Plant & Gardening Help > Chrysanthemum History and Flower Form.
Available @ http://libguides.nybg.org/content.php?pid=671296&sid=5780887

“Chrysanthemum Plant Named ‘Zanmupumpkin.’” United States Patent and Trademark Office > Program in Word (PIW). June 28, 2016.
Available @ http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=PP026884

"History of the Chrysanthemum." National Chrysanthemum Society USA.
Available @ http://www.mums.org/history-of-the-chrysanthemum/

International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants. “Document TGP/14: Glossary of Technical, Botanical and Statistical Terms Used in UPOV Documents.” UPOV (Union Internationale Pour la Protection des Obtentions Végétales). Dec. 9, 2006.
Available @ http://www.upov.org/edocs/mdocs/upov/en/tc_edc/2007/tgp_14_draft_1_section_2_3_2.pdf