ARCTOTIS
Family COMPOSITAE
Arctotis species
Annual
Attractive and colourful South African plants
of perennial habit, best treated as half-hardy
annuals. Of the forty or more species known, a
few find particular favour in British flower gardens.
Arctotis stoechadifolia (syn. Arctotis grandis)
is tall, growing one and a half to two feet, with
a long flowering period during which the pure
white flowers, each centred with a purplish disc,
rise on long stems above the deeply cut grey foliage.
Arctotis calendulacea (syn. Cryptostemma calendulaceum)
produces marigold-like flowers of bright yellow
with dark centres. Of a rather prostrate habit,
this plant will attain fifteen inches.
Arctotis breviscapa has six-inch lance-shaped
cut leaves and orange-rayed flowers, two inches
across, with dark centres on six-inch stems.
Raise from seed sown under glass in March and
plant the seedlings out where they are to flower
in late May.
Propagate from seed or from cuttings of side-shoots
inserted in sandy soil in a cold frame, early
summer.
The flowering season is from May to Michaelmas
for all except Arctotis calendulacea, which flowers
from late June onwards.
Arctotis Grandis
Half Hardy Annual
2 feet.
Flowers in June.
One of the most recent introductions; the plant
is branching, and has greyish green leaves, somewhat
downy; the flowers are single and circular, something
after the form of the annual Chrysanthemums, or
the Marguerites, but the colour is a pearly or
bluish white, with an inner circle of yellow surrounding
a mauve or lavender centre.
It should be raised in moderate heat, with such
things as Nicotiana or Salpiglossis, pricked out,
hardened, and planted out in May.
The flower is very beautiful in colour, and distinct
from all others; and should certainly be grown
by those who can afford to be hospitable to novelties.
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