POTTED FLOWERING PLANTS 321 



larly after the flowers begin to form. The green fly may 

 be kept in check by placing tobacco stems around the 

 young plants, or by vaporizing some tobacco extract in 

 the house. Fumigation with tobacco stems should not 

 be practiced, as it blackens the foliage. 



CINERARIAS 



479. Botanical classification. Order, Composite ; 

 genus, Cineraria (Latin, ash colored, referring to 

 the gray foliage in some species) ; species : cruenta, dwarf 

 cinerarias; cruenta j flore-pleno, double; cruenta var. 

 stellata, tall, branching. 



480. Botanical characters. Cinerarias are herbs which 

 have heavy, compact foliage, terminated by large panicles 

 of showy composite flowers. The flowers are very bril- 

 liant and embrace a wide range of colors in shades of blue, 

 white and red. As ornamental plants, they are grown as 

 annuals, the plants being valueless when their flowering 

 season is over. 



Habitat. Canary Islands. 



481. Propagation. Cinerarias are very popular plants 

 for house decoration because easily grown. They are 

 mostly propagated from seed. Double varieties are some- 

 times propagated by cuttings as they do not seed freely. 

 The seed may be saved from plants each year, but unless 

 care is taken in crossing desirable colors, it soon deterio- 

 rates. It is better to buy new seed each year. Two or 

 three sowings should be made to insure a succession of 

 bloom ; the first being about the first of August, the 

 second about the first of September, and a third about the 

 middle of September. The seed should be sown and the 

 seedlings given the same care as calceolarias, except that 



