COSMOS 



COTONEASTER 



385 



be expected to have more symmetrical and perfectly 

 formed flowers than the mixed and nameless varie- 

 ties, much as the highest bred single Dahlias always 

 have 8 rays all exactly alike, while it is a mark of Dah- 

 lias of low degree to have more than 8 rays or an unsym- 

 metrical arrangement of them. A new feature, too, is 

 the advent of a distinct ring of color formed by a dash 

 of crimson at llie base of each ray. The wild Cosmos 

 is not troubled by a spot of yellow at the base of each 

 ray, as is the wild Dahlia. In the case of the single 

 Dahlia, the yellow color at the base of the ray never be- 

 comes definite and conspicuous enough to form an addi- 

 tional attractive feature, as it does in Chrysanthemum 

 carlnatniH, but it often spoils the unity of effect and 

 fails to harmonize with the chief color of the flower, 

 especially when the latter is magenta, crimson, rose, 

 or any allied shade. There are no full double forms of 

 Cosmos as yet, and, as regards strongly marked types 

 of doubling, the Cosmos may be decades behind the 

 hina Asters. In the single forms, flat, incurved or 

 cupping, and reflexed flowers are to be looked for, and 

 can be fixed if there is sufficient demand for mainte- 

 nance of the three types. 



It is a mistake to grow Cosmos in too rich soil, as one 

 .gets too vigorous growth and too few flowers, which are 

 also late. A sandy soil is to be preferred as being earlier, 

 and not too rich. It is well to pinch out the leading 

 shoots of young plants in order to make them bushy and 

 symmetrical, instead of tall and straggling. ^y -^ 



Cosmos bipinnatus has many varieties as to shapes, 

 and its colors run through white, " washed " or faded 

 pinks, and reds. The plants grow 7-10 ft., and bloom 

 in fall only. A dwarf variety of this species, and start- 

 ing out with Dawn (white shaded to pink at center) has 

 developed colors until it now includes white, pink and 

 crimson. The plants are some 4% ft. high, and bloom in 

 July. The seed is only one-half the length of the typical 

 C. bipin natus. This selection was continued until double 

 blooms were secured, but double blooms perfected no 

 seed. 



C. sulphureus is entirely distinct from the above, the 

 foliage being broad and handsomely cut, whilst the 

 flowers vary from sulfur-yellow of the typical species, 

 to the rich orange-yellow of Klondyke, and a tall, 

 late variety. Cosmos sulphureus shows an inferior 

 bloom \Yz in. in diameter, rather meager foliage, and 

 grows about 3 ft. high. The tall, late variety has fine, 

 rich orange fls. 2%-3% in. in diameter, with very heavy, 

 coarse and dense foliage, grows 7-12 ft. high, and 

 blooms in Georgia after October 15. The Klondyke, a 

 hybrid of my own from Cosmos sulphureus, and the tall, 

 late-blooming variety, has rich orange-yellow blooms, 

 2%-3% in. in diameter, with foliage a happy medium be- 

 tween its two parents, grows 3%-4 ft. high, begins to 

 bloom in Georgia from field-grown seed April 15, and by 

 May 15 is a plant 2% ft. tall, covered with blooms from 

 base to top, which continue without cessation until 

 killed by frost, when plant is 3% ft. high and of the same 

 spread. The culture of all varieties is simple, and only 

 requires well-prepared soil, not too rich, early planting 

 of seed, and the keeping of young plants free of weeds 

 until they shade the ground. C. bipinnatus and the tall, 

 late variety should be planted in rows 6 ft. apart and 4 

 ft. in a row. 



The variety Dawn and its companions in white, pink 

 and crimson, and Klondyke should be planted in 3-foot 

 rows, 3 ft. apart. Neither of the above yellow varieties 

 should be confounded with the worthless Bidens offered 

 as Cosmos sulphureus. The earlier Cosmos seed is 

 planted after danger of frost the better, as it germinates 

 unsatisfactorily when the weather is warm. When cab- 

 bage seed can be sown in the field with safety, Cosmos 

 can also be sown. Cult, by A. W. SMITH. 



A. Rays white, pink or crimson: disk yellow. 



bipinaatus, Cav. Fig. 564. Glabrous annual V-10 ft. 

 high: Ivs. bipinnately cut, lobes linear, remote, entire: 

 involucral scales ovate-lanceolate, acuminate: fls. white, 

 pink or crimson : seeds smooth, with an abrupt beak- 

 much shorter than the body. Mex. B.M.1535. Gn. 41:838. 

 R.H. 1892 :372. The older and commoner species. C. hy- 

 bridns, Hort.. is presumably a trade name for mixed 

 varieties of C. bipinnatus. but see G.F. 1:475. 



AA. Rays yellow: disk yellow. 



sulphureus, Cav. Pubescent, 4-7 ft. high, much 

 branched: Ivs. often 1 ft. or more long, 2- or 3-pinnately 

 cut, lobes lanceolate, mucronate, with rachis and midrib 

 ciliate or hispid ; pinnae alternate, entire or 2-3-toothed : 

 peduncles 7-10 in. long, naked: outer involucral bracts 

 8, linear, acuminate, green, 2 lines long ; inner ones 

 8, oblong, obtuse, scarious, 5 lines long : fls. 2-3 in. 

 across, pale, pure or golden yellow: rays 8, broadly obo- 

 vate, strongly 3-toothed at the apex, ribbed beneath: 

 anthers of the disk exserted, black, with orange tips: 

 seeds linear, 1 in. long, including the slender beak. 

 Mex. G.F. 8:485. Int. 1896; parent of all yellow forms. 

 AAA. Rays dark red: disk red. 



diversifolius, Otto (Bidens atrosangitinea, Ortg. B. 

 dahlio ides, S.Wats. Dahlia Zimapani, Roezl). BLACK 

 COSMOS. Tender annual, 12-16 in. high, with tubers more 

 slender, and requiring more care in winter, than those of 

 common Dahlias: Ivs. pinnateiy parted; Ifts. 5-7, entire 

 or slightly serrate, the terminal Ifts. largest: peduncles 

 each bearing 1 head 6 in. or more above foliage: rays 

 dark velvety red, sometimes tinged dark purple. Mex. 

 B.M. 5227. Gt. 1861:347. F.C. 2:47. J.H. III. 33: 403. 

 Var. superba, Hort., is sold. Prop, almost exclusively 

 by seeds. w. M. 



COSTMABY. The rayless form of Chrysanthemum 

 Balsamita, known as var. tanacetoides. 



CdSTUS (old classical name). Scitamindcece. SPIRAL 

 FLAG. About 30 perennial thick-rooted herbs, in the 

 tropics of America, Africa, Asia and Australia, cult, for 

 their flowing-limbed showy fls., which are in termi- 

 nal, bracteate spikes. Corolla tubular, equally cleft, not 

 showy: one staminodium, enlarged and bell-shaped, usu- 

 ally with a crispy limb, and forming the showy part of 

 the flower (called the lip), cleft down the back: ovary 

 3-loculed: filaments petaloid. More or less fleshy plants, 

 prized in warmhouses, and grown in the open in S. Fla. 



This interesting genus of tropical herbs thrives in any 

 rich, moist soil, but luxuriates in that of a gravelly or 

 sandy character, when under partial shade. The plants 

 are readily propagated by cutting the canes, or stalks, 

 into short pieces of an inch or two in length, and plant- 

 ing in sifted peat, or fine moss and sand, covering but 

 lightly. The roots may also be divided, but this is a slow 

 means of propagation. Specimen plants require rather 

 high tamperature to bring out the rich colors of the 

 leaves, which in some species are prettily marked with a 

 purplish tint, and are usually arranged spirally on the as- 

 cending stem. This gives rise to the name, "Spiral Flag." 

 A. Leaves green and plain. 

 B. Flower ivhite. 



specidsus, Smith. Four-5 ft., stout, erect: Ivs. ovate or 

 lance-ovate, nearly 1 ft. long, silky beneath: bracts red: 

 fl. large, with a flowing white limb and pink center, 

 3-4 in. across, not lasting. E. Ind. I.H. 43:56. Gn. 

 47:1004. 



BB. Flower red. 



igneus, N. E. Brown. One-3 ft.: Ivs. elliptic-lanceo- 

 late, 4-6 in. long: bracts not colored nor conspicuous: 

 fls. clustered, orange-red. Brazil. I.H.31:511. B.M.6821. 

 J.H. III. 28:11. 



AA. Leaves party-colored. 



musaicus, Hort. Lvs. obliquely lanceolate, 4-5 in. long, 

 dark green, marked and tessellated with silvery gray. 

 W.Africa. C. zebrina is very likely the same. 



E. N. REASONEB and L. H. B. 



COTINUS. A section of Rhus. 



COTONEASTEK (cotoneum, quince, and aster, simi- 

 lar; the Ivs. of some species resemble those of the 

 Quince). Rosdcece, subfamily Pdweqg. Shrubs, rarely 

 small trees: Ivs. alternate, deciduous or persistent, short- 

 petioled, entire, stipulate: fls. solitary or in cymes, ter- 

 minal, on short lateral branchlets, white or pinkish; 

 petals 5; stamens about 20: fr. a black or red pomaceous 

 drupe, with 2-5 stones. About 25 species," in the tem- 

 perate regions of Europe and Asia, also in N. Africa, but 

 none in Japan. Ornamental shrubs, many of them with 

 decorative frs., remaining usually through the whole 



