TAGETES 



TAIXIA 



3305 



3766. Single French marigold. 

 Tagetes patula. ( XJi) 



TAGfiTES (Tages, an Etruscan god, or perhaps of 

 other derivation). Composite. MARIGOLD. American 

 perennial and annual flower-garden herbs. 



Leaves opposite or alternate, pinnately cut or rarely 

 simply serrate: fl.-heads of various sizes, yellow or 

 orange, marked in some species with red : strong-scented 

 plants with opposite or 

 alternate mostly pinnately 

 divided Ivs. that bear oil- 

 glands : involucre of united 

 parts forming a cup or 

 tube, naked at base: 

 achene angled or flattened, 

 the pappus of a few entire 

 mostly unequal bristles 

 or scales: rays pistillate; 

 disk-fls. perfect. Species 

 about 20, from New Mex. 

 and Ariz, to Argentina, 

 mostly annuals. The 

 popular annual species 

 known as "African" and 

 "French" marigolds have 

 been derived respectively 

 from T. erecta and T. 

 patula, both of which are 

 native to Mex. According 

 to Sweet's Hortus Britan- 

 nicus, these two species 

 were intro. into cult, in 

 1596 and 1573. 



For garden purposes 

 Tagetes may be divided 

 into two groups, based upon habit of growth. T. erecta 

 and T. lucida are of upright and somewhat open growth; 

 while T. patula and T. signata are spreading and bushy, 

 the lower branches lying close to the ground and often 

 rooting. The French marigolds, T. patula, are valua- 

 ble bedding plants. Good garden forms are of even 

 height and bushy compact growth, with a mass of 

 good foliage and well-colored flowers appearing con- 

 tinuously from June until frost. In raising plants, it is 

 preferable to grow them in pots, as this practice seems 

 to check the plants sufficiently to cause them to bloom 

 at a small size and more plentifully during the early 

 summer months than if they were raised with unlimited 

 root room. They should be planted about 1 foot apart. 

 This species also makes attractive specimens in small 

 pots in a few weeks from seed. Mixed seed of the 

 double sorts will give a large percentage of good double 

 flowers, while the seed of special named double sorts is 

 remarkably good. Some of the single forms are very 

 finely colored. The African marigolds, T. erecta, are 

 not well suited to bedding purposes, the growth being 

 too open, but for the mixed border or shrubbery they 

 are excellent late-blooming subjects. This species 

 should be grown with plenty of root room, air, and rich 

 soil from start to finish if the largest and most double 

 flowers are desired. The African marigolds are very 

 useful as cut-flowers except under circumstances where 

 their odor is objectionable. 



For pot marigold, see Calendula. 



A. Fls. generally marked with red. 



patula, Linn. FRENCH MARIGOLD. Fig. 3766. A 

 hardy annual, usually about 1 ft. high and much 

 branched from near the base, forming a compact, bushy 

 plant: Ivs. darker green than in T. erecta, pinnately 

 divided; lobes linear-lanceolate, serrate: fls. smaller 

 than in T. erecta and borne on proportionately longer 

 peduncles. Mex. B.M. 150; 3830 (as T. corynibosd). 

 Both the single and double forms are grown. The spe- 

 cies is very variable as to the color-markings of the fls. 

 which range from almost pure yellow to nearly pure 

 red. A dwarf varietv, nana, Hort., is known. Gn. 63, 

 p. 24; 73, p. 127. 



1 



AA. Fls. not marked with red. 

 B. Lvs. pinnately dinded. 



c. Rays numerous. 



erecta, Linn. AFRICAN MARIGOLD. Fig. 3767. A 

 hardy annual growing about 2 ft. high, erect, branched: 

 Ivs. pinnately divided, segms. lanceolate-serrate: fls. 2- 

 4 times as large as in T. patula and of one solid color, the 

 typical color, according to DeCandolle, being a lemon- 

 yellow. Mex. The rays are sometimes rather 2-lipped 

 and in one of the garden forms they are quilled. The 

 color ranges from a light sulfur-yellow to a deep orange, 

 many of the light yellow shades being rare amongst 

 fl. colors. This is the common marigold of old gardens 

 in Amer. Foliage very strong-scented. 



cc. Rays few, usually 5. 



signata, Bartl. An annual branching species: Ivs. 

 pinnately divided into usually 12 oblong, linear, 

 sharply serrate segms., the lower teeth awned: rays 5, 

 yellow, roundish-obovate. Mex. R.H. 1895, p. 505. 

 Var. pumila, Hort., a dwarf, bushy form, usually less 

 than 1 ft. high, seems to be the only form in the trade. 

 The fls. are bright yellow and small but numerous. 

 The species is suited for massing or for borders. 



BB. Lvs. lanceolate, simply serrate. 

 lucida, Cav. SWEET-SCENTED MARIGOLD. A tender 

 perennial plant, entirely distinct from the foregoing 

 Annuals in the sessile, lanceolate Ivs. and small, usually 

 2-3-rayed fls. in dense, terminal corymbs. The fls. 

 have a much more agreeable odor than the other spe- 

 cies cult. Mex. B.M. 740. R.H. 1895, p. 505. Some- 

 times used as a substitute for tarragon, which see.. 



T. Idcera is a species 

 discovered about 1896 

 by T. S. Brandegee in 

 Low. Calif. It makes 

 a compact bush 4-5 

 ft. high, bearing a 

 profusion of yellow 

 fls. in winter. Small 

 plants flower well in 

 pots. See G.F. 9:67. 

 T. Lewimonii.Gray, 

 also a shrubby nearly 

 smooth plant about 2 

 ft. high, seems to be 

 grown in Calif. It is 

 distinctly woody but 

 rather slender: Ivs. all 

 opposite, 3-7 - folio- 

 late, the serrulate Ifts. 

 about 1 in. long: heads 

 about 1 in. diam., 

 showy. Ariz. G. C. 

 III. 27:21. 



F. W. BARCLAY. 



TAINIA (Greek, 

 band or fillet, allud- 

 ing to the shape 

 of the lip). Orchi- 

 dacese. Terres- 

 trial warmhouse 

 orchids. Sterile 

 st. from a many- 

 sheathed rhizome 

 finally thickened 

 into a pseudobulb : 

 If. single, terminal, 

 large, long - peti- 

 oled: flowering 

 scapes arising 

 from the rhizome, 

 tall, leafless, base 

 few-sheathed, 

 bearing a simple 

 terminal raceme: 

 fls. pedicellate, 

 sparse, rather 

 large or medium- 



3767. African marigold. Tagetes 

 erecta. 



