Abstract: A total of 7 indexes in 51 chrysanthemum cultivars were identified after 12 days，including root number，average single length（L），average diameter（AD），the longest root length，root surface area（SA），root projected area（PA）and the average number of single root tips（N Tips）. Base on the above statics，the rooting ability of different ornamental chrysanthemum cultivars were evaluated by the correlation and principal component of the 7 indexes and the subordinate function value method. Comparing with the longest root length，the extreme value of these materials showed significant differences of the distribution range in root number，L，N Tips，while the distribution range in AD，SA and PA showed no difference. There is a significant correlation among these indexes（P < 0.01）with all positively correlated. In addition，seven single items were translated into the two independent comprehensive indexes by the principal component analysis，and the cumulative contribution rate was 84.01%. Furthermore，the comprehensive index，subordinate function values and the Score（D）were calculated by the subordinate function value method，the results showed that D values were mainly concentrated between 0.20 and 0.40，and there were 23 cultivars，accounting for 45.1% of the total；five potted chrysanthemum cultivars whose D value were more than 0.40，among of them，the highest was‘Zhongshan Yunge’with 0.88 with the strongest rooting ability of cutting. There were 10 cultivars with the value less than or equal to 0.10，among which 6 were traditional chrysanthemum，the lowest‘Guohua Youji’and‘Guohua Bashizhu’were only 0.03，and the rooting ability was the weakest.

Key words: chrysanthemum, cuttings, rooting, principal component analysis, subordinate function value method, quantified estimate