230 Retrograde Varieties 



has large tufts of green bracts instead of flow- 

 ering heads, the scales of the receptacle having 

 assumed the texture and venation of leaves, and 

 being in some measure as fleshy. But the 

 green heads retain the form of the ordinary 

 flower-heads, and as they have no real florets 

 that may fade away, they remain unchanged on 

 the plants, and increase in number through the 

 whole summer. The new types of green dahlia 

 however, with which I have now to deal, are 

 distinguished by the elongation of the axis of the 

 head, which is thereby changed into a long leafy 

 stalk, attaining a length of several inches. 

 These stalks continue growing for a very long 

 time, and for the most part die without produc- 

 ing anything else than green fleshy scales. 



This long-headed green dahlia originated at 

 Haarlem some years ago, in the nursery of 

 Messrs. Zocher & Co. It was seen to arise 

 twice, from different varieties. Both of these 

 were double-flowered, one a deep carmine with 

 white tips on the rays, the other of a pale orange 

 tint, known by the name of " Surprise. " As 

 they did not bear any florets or seeds, they were 

 quite sterile. The strain arising from the car- 

 mine variety was kindly given to me by Messrs. 

 Zocher & Co., and was propagated in my gar- 

 den, while the other was kept in the nursery. 

 In the earlier cultures both remained true to 



