AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



127 



Helianthtts continued. 



(B. M. 227, under name of H. multiflorus.) The common form 



is of dwarf habit, with double flowers. 

 H. d. multiflorus major only differs from ordinary multiflorus 



in its larger flower-heads. 



H. diftusus (diffuse). A synonym of B. rigidus. 

 H. lenticularis (lenticular), fl.-heads yellow, large, drooping ; 



scale of involucre expanded, scabrous on the back. August. I. 



alternate, petiolate, ovate, three-nerved, serrate. Stem hispid. 



h. 6ft. North America, 1827. (B. R. 1265.) This is a variety of 



the Common Sunflower, H. annum. 

 H. mqllis (soft), fl.-heads yellow. July to October. I. ovate, 



acuminate, three-nerved, closely-serrated, scabrous above, hoary 



and soft beneath, h. 4ft. North America, 1805. (B. M. 3689.) 



FIG. 200. UPPER PORTION OF STEMS, AND DETACHED 

 FLOWER-HEAD, OF HELIANTHUS ORGYALIS. 



H. orgyalis (6ft. high).* fl.-heads yellow, comparatively small, 

 numerous, forming a large panicle. Autumn. I. alternate, nu- 

 merous, very narrow and recurved, 5in. to Sin. long, iin. to lin. 

 wide. h. 6ft. to 10ft. United States, 1879. Very graceful, and 

 one of the best and most useful decorative autumnal-flowering 

 plants. Perennial. See Fig. 200. 



H. pubescens (downy). See Wyethla angustifolia. 



H. rigidus (rigid).* fl.-heads glistening golden-yellow, about 4in. 

 across, formed of a deep ray and small disk ; ray-florets liin. long, 

 iin. broad, tips incurved, and edges reflexed ; disk-florets choco- 

 late colour; involucre scaly; peduncles long, hairy. August. 

 I., stem ones very hispid, lanceolate, slightly dentate; radical 



North America. 



, , 



ones few, oval, 5in. or 6in. long. h. 3ft. 

 Perennial. SYN. H. diffusus. (B. M. 2020.) 

 H. tuberosus (tuberous). Jerusalem Artichoke, fl.-heads yellow. 

 September and October. I. three-nerved, scabrous ; lower cor- 

 date-ovate, upper ovate-acuminate, alternate; petioles ciliated 

 at base. Roots creeping, and towards the end of autumn 

 produce a number of round, irregular, reddish or yellow tubers, 

 clustered together, and of about the size of an ordinary potato. 

 h. 6ft. to 8ft. Upper Canada and United States, 1617. This was 

 cultivated by the aborigines, and the tubers developed. It is 

 certainly not South American, as stated in so many books. The 

 common name of this species is supposed to be a corruption of 

 the Italian Girasole articocco, or Sunflower Artichoke. For cul- 

 ture, see Artichoke, Jerusalem. 

 HELICHROA. See Rudbeckia. 

 HELICHRYSUM (an old Greek name used by 

 Theophrastus ; the latter part of the word, from chrysos, 

 gold, refers to the colour of the flowers). Everlastings. 

 SYN. Elichrysum. OBD. Composite. A genus comprising 

 260 species of greenhouse or hardy, herbaceous or shrubby 

 plants, natives, for the most part, of the Cape of Good 

 Hope. Flower-heads large, solitary ; involucral bracts 

 scarious, not silvery, spreading or recurved, or clustered 

 and small with incurved bracts ; pappus rough or sub- 



Helichrysum continued. 



plumose. Very few species are grown in our gardens. 

 Helichrysums succeed best in a rich loamy soil, either when 

 grown in pots or planted out. The annual species, and 

 the varieties (of which there are a good number) of H. 

 bracteatum, may be readily raised from seed, sown in a 

 light heat, in March, and afterwards transplanted, or in 

 the open ground at the latter end of that month. The 

 greenhouse and half-hardy perennial species may be 

 propagated by cuttings, inserted in spring, in a close 

 frame, without much heat. Flowers that are intended 

 for drying should be gathered when partially unfolded, 

 and suspended with their heads downward in a cool shed. 

 Any that are required to ripen seed must be allowed to 

 remain on the plants until naturally developed. 

 H. apiculatum (small-pointed), fl.-heads yellow, in small 

 clustered corymbs, h. lift. Australia, 1804. Plant covered with 

 a silvery tomentum. Half-hardy perennial. 



H. arenarium (sand-loving).* Yellow Everlasting, fl.-heads 

 bright golden-yellow, disposed in a compound corymb. Summer. 

 1. lanceolate, entire, stern-clasping, blunt and recurved at tips, 

 with revolute edges ; downy white on both surfaces. Stem 

 upright, simple, downy, h. 6in. to 12in. Europe, 1739. Hardy 

 herbaceous. The flowers of this species are very extensively used 

 for decorative purposes, and are popularly known as Immortelles. 

 They are also largely employed in the making of funeral wreaths, 

 crosses, &c. 



FIG. 201. FLOWERING BRANCH OF HELICHRYSUM BRACTEATUM. 



H. bracteatum (bracteate).* fl.-heads very various, solitary, ter- 

 minal. August. I. lanceolate, entire, h. 3ft. to 4ft. Australia, 

 1799. Half-hardy annual. See Fig. 201. B. acuminatum, H. 

 chrysanthum, and H. macrocephalum, are mere forms of this 

 species. 



H. b. aureum Cgolden). fl-heads golden-yellow. See Fig. 202. 



H. b. bicolor (two-coloured), fl.-heads yellow. August. I. linear- 

 lanceolate, acuminate, obtuse at the base, roughly ciliated ; upper 

 ones subulate. 1835. (B. R. 1814.) 



H. b. compositum (compound) is a fine "double" strain, with 

 various-coloured flower-heads. See Fig. 203. 



H. b. macranthum (large-flowered), fl.-heads white, rose 

 coloured outside. (B. R. 1838, 58.) 



H. b. niveum (snowy).* fl.-heads white, yellow, large, solitary, 

 terminal ; scales of involucre white, conniving, ovate, mucronate. 

 June. 1838. (B. M. 3357.) 



