1070 



ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. 



PART III. 



GENUS VI. 



/f ELICHRY^SUM Lessing. THE HELICHRYSUM, or EVERLASTING FLOWER. 

 Lin. Syst. Syngenesia Superflua. 



Identification. Less. Synops. Gen. Compos., p. 274. 



Synonyms. Part of Gnapbalium Lin. Gen. PI., 1282., as adopted in Ait. Hort. Kew., cd. 2. vol 5 



p. 10. 

 Derivation. From helios, the sun, and chrusos, gold ; in reference to the blossoms. 



a. 1. H. T(E X CHAS D. Don. The Stcechas Helichrysum, or common shrubby 

 Everlasting Flower. 



Identification. D. Don ; Loud. Hort. Brit. 



Synonymes. Gnaphalium Stochas Lin., Willd,Sp. PL, 3. p. 1803., Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 2. vol. 5. p. 12. : 



<\ Stce'chas cftrina Dod. Pempt., 268. 



Engravings. Barrel Icon., t. 410. ; Blackw., t. 438. ; Encyc. of Plants, p. 1699. f. 11756. 



Spec. Char., $c. Branches twiggy. Leaves linear. Heads of flowers in a com- 

 pound corymb. (Willd. Sp. PI., as Gnaphalium toe x chas.) A native of 

 Germany, France, and Spain. It was cultivated in Britain in 1629, where 

 it grows to 2 ft. or 3 ft. high, and produces its yellow flowers from June to 

 October. It is a low evergreen shrub, with long, slender, irregular branches, 

 the lower ones having blunt leaves, 2^ in. long, and an eighth of an inch broad 

 at the end ; those on the flower stalks are very narrow, and end in acute 

 points ; and the whole plant is very woolly. The flowers terminate in a 

 compound corymb ; the calyxes are at first silvery, but afterwards turn to 

 a yellow sulphur colour. If the flowers are gathered before they are much 

 opened, the heads will continue in beauty many years if kept from air and 

 dust. The plant is of easy culture in dry calcareous soils ; but it requires 

 to be placed in a warm sheltered situation ; and, north of London, it will, in 

 many places require a conservative wall. This species is now scarcely to be 

 procured in any of the London nurseries, though some years ago there 

 were plants of it in the Hammersmith collection. 



App. i. Half-hardy Species of the *H.elich?ysitm. 



H.friiticans D. Don ; Astelma fruticans Bot. Reg., t. 726. ; Gnaphalium frhticans L.\ G. grandi- 

 flbrum Bot. Rep. ; and our fig. 840. ; is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, growing to the height 

 of 3 ft., and producing its yellow flowers from June to August. 



840 



841 



H. coneiitum D. Don; Gnaphalium congdstum Lam., Bot. Reg., t.253. ; and our fig. 841.; is a 

 native of the Cape of Good Hope, growing 3 ft. high, and producing its purplish flower heads in 

 May and June. Various other species of this genus, and of closely allied genera, arc suitable for 

 the base of a conservative wall, or for conservative rockwork. H. apiculutum, H. cratttfd&tUH, 

 H. diversifdlium, H. ericb'ldcs, and some other species, are in the collection of Messrs. Loddiges. 



