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2011

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Chrysanthemums Sheikh Shabir Ahmad ,

Dictrict Floriculture Officer,

Department of Floriculture Kashmir

Chrysanthemum occupy an important position among floral

crops in the world and display a wide range of variability for economic

floral traits among its cultivars that is hardly surpassed by any floral

crop. The genus, belonging to the family Asteraceae includes over 200

species of annuals, herbaceous perennials and subshrubs . It is

distributed over Asia (Mainly China), Africa, America and Europe (Anon,

1970). Chrysanthemum has its origin from northern hemisphere chiefly

Europe and Asia. Many authorities claim that it originated in China

(Cumming, 1964). Chrysanthemum (Chryos- golden; anthos-flower) is

next only to rose in importance among the flower crops in the world

and is grown both for its aesthetic and commercial value .The genus, of

which the present day florist Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum

morifolium) group belongs, has been renamed as "Dendranthema and

the spp. as Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelev; Anderson, 1987.

Chrysanthemum is one of the most popular as cut flower and

commercialiy important floral crop with hundreds of millions of its

stems sold as cutflower every year in North- America and Europe alone

It is grown through out the world as cut flower, loose flowers and

potted plants besides being used as border plant in the gardens. The

wide variation exhibited by its large number of cultivars in respect of

growth habit, size, colour and shape of blooms make the

chrysanthemum suitable for place and every purpose conceivable for an

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excellent flower crop. Its erect and tall growing cultivars are suitable for

background planting in borders or as cut flowers. The Chrysanthemum

has been recognized in India as one among the five important

commercially potent flower crops by the All India Coordinated

Floriculture Improvement Project (ICAR) and is most important flower

grown on commercial scale. It covers nearly 17 per cent (3752 ha) of the

total area under floriculture in the country (Kollavali et al, ). In India,

Karnataka is the most prominent chrysanthemum growing state with an

area of 1445 ha. followed by the state of Tamil Nadu, Andera Pradesh,

Maharashtra, Rajesthan and Bihar where it is also grown on commercial

scale,

Chrysanthemum owes its popularity to wide range of form and colour in

its flowers ,their excellent keeping quality and availability throughout

the year ( Kher.1990). Jong (1982) revealed that by exploiting the

existing genetic variability present among the cultivars and differential

response to day length and temperature, it should be possible to obtain

flowers almost all the year round.

Chrysanthemum is a plant of vast potential for landscaping, besides

being used as a cut flower. The state of Jammu and Kashmir is idealy

suited for its cultivation almost all through the year, particularly being

traditionally regarded as an autumn flower because of its ability to

develop buds only at a day length of 13.5 hours , it can be used for off-

season flower production in the Kashmir

Garden chrysanthemum also given the name as ‘ Queen of the

East’ is a highly versatile and accommodating ornamental with a wide

range of type, size, and colour in flowers and is too responsive to

horticultural manipulations that plants can be ‘tamed’ to assure any

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form. Further it possesses a wide range of adaptability and does

remarkably well in climate of Kashmir.

Uses:

Chrysanthemum can be used in many ways.

Tall growing plants are suitable for back ground planting in borders

and beds.

The dwarf and compact growing ones suitable for front row planting

in borders and also can be grown in pots .

Long stems with attractive flowers have large vase life suitable for cut

flowers.

The decorative and fluffy bloomed small flowered cultivars are used

for loose flowers, for garland making and hair decorations .

The extra-large bloomed cultivars serve as exhibition material and

bouquets.

Flowers of spray type varieties are highly suitable as loose flowers for

making garlands and floral arrangements.

Some historical milestones:

Earliest mention of chrysanthemum in ancient scriptures dates back

to 3000 B.C.

Modern chrysanthemum (C. Morifolium Ramat) were evolved from

hybridization and selection from several species of chrysanthemum

which were wild in China and Japan. The repeated hybridization tool

place nearly 2500 years.

Cultivation of chrysanthemum started in about 500 B.C.

In about A. D 750, cultivated chrysanthemum were exported to Japan

from China.

Declared as Japanese National flower in A.D. 797.

Introduction Chrysanthemum into various European countries

Holland 1668.

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France (1789), England (1795)

First show cased in USA in 1941.

Improvement started at several places.

1961 -- Year round chrysanthemum production in glasshouse in the

Netherlands.

1969 -- occupied second most important cut flower after rose.

1995 – 15% of the total cut flower turnover at Dutch auctions is

represented by spray chrysanthemums.

The name of chrysanthemum morifllium has been changed to

Dendranthema grandiflora Tzuseu ( Heywood & Humphries, 1977)

Classification:

The flowers are classified by the kind, and arrangement of florets (national

Chrysanthemum Society of England) into five broad groups.

a. Single: have one or more outer pistillate flower (ray) with disc florets

at the centre.

b. Anemones: Similar to the singles except the disc florets are elongated

and tubular forming a cushion. Dise flowers may be the same or a

colour different from the ray flowers.

c. Pompons: a globular head formed by short uniform ray flowers the

shape is considered formal, disc flowers are not apparent, further

classified into three distinct size.

(1). Small buttons (4cm or less in diameter)

(2). Intermediate (4-6cm diameter)

(3). Large (6-10cm in diameter).

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d. Decorative: have a floret arrangement similar to pompons since they

are composed mainly of ray flowers but the outer rows are longer

than central flower giving the flowers a flatter appearance or informal

shape, size, are mostly intermediate and large.

e. Large flower: Blooms are greater than 10 cm and are classified in

many shapes, disc florets are not apparent in most of these forms.

(i) In curved double: Globose and formal with ray flowers similar in

size to the disc flowers and that curve inward and towards the top.

(ii) Reflexed double: Less formal and globose than the incurved

double with over lapping ray flowers curved downward except for

the ray flowers.

(iii) Tubular ray flowers:

(a) Spider: Ray flowers tubular and elongated into the outer rows

but short in center. The dropping outer row ray flowers are

some times hooked on the ends.

(b) Fuji: Similar to the spider except the ray flowers may be shorter,

droppless and lack hooks on the ends.

(c) Quill: Tubular ray flowers, long on the outside and short near

the center, resembling feather quills, Ends of flowers are open

and not flattened.

(d) Spoon: Similar to the quill except the outer row flowers are

open and are flattened, resembling a spoon.

f. Miscellaneous: Novelty types consisting of feathery plume, like of

hairy ray florists.

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Export standards for chrysanthemum:

Parameters Standard Spray Dwarf

Steam

Length

88-100cm 75-88 cm 25-38cm

Weight 30g/stem of

90cm

30g/stem of 85cm 15g/stem of

30cm

Number, of

Flowers

Only 1 flower

with 5 buds

10 flowers with 5-8

buds

10-12 flowers

Diameter 60-80mm 35mm for half bloom

30 mm

45mm for full

bloom

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Standard Chrysanthemums

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Spray Chrysanthemums

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Spider Chrsanthemum

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Incurved Chrsanthemum