EVERLASTING FLOWERS 189 



The Australian star flower first mentioned in 

 this chapter most resembles Rhodanthe, but is as 

 distinct as a rose is from a carnation. The 

 botanists have not been able to decide as to its 

 specific name. With the possible exception of 

 the Rhodanthe, this is without doubt the most 

 beautiful of all the flowers called everlastings 

 so far discovered or produced. The beautiful, 

 star-shaped, white clusters of flowers, produced 

 in the greatest abundance, are surpassingly 

 beautiful. 



All the everlastings are natives of desert 

 countries and are mostly from the Cape of 

 Good Hope and Australia. The "Australia! 

 Star Flower," seed of which one of my West 

 Australian collectors, who first discovered it, 

 sent me many years ago, came to me as a grace- 

 ful white flower. After a few seasons' growth 

 here, however, it began to show a tinge of pink 

 here and there among the numerous plants then 

 grown. No two botanists have agreed as to its 

 scientific status. 



This work with the Australian star flower has 

 consisted of increasing the size of the blossom, 

 making it semidouble, giving a clear, rosy pink 

 color, and to some extent rendering it resistant 

 to disease. This has been accomplished by the 

 usual method of selection, the better speci- 



