252 Composite? Chrysanthemum. 



Keceptacle naked. Pappus none or cup-shaped. The species are 

 natives of Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The name is from 

 'Xpvaos, golden, and avOsfjiov, flowers, but it is only applicable to 

 some species. Some of the species are separated under the name 

 Pyrethrum, from having a cup-shaped membranous pappus. 

 The first name is retained because it is in general use. The 

 Ox-eye Daisy, G. Leucdnthemum, and the Corn Marigold, 

 C segetum, are two familiar native species. 



1. Ch. S'inense, including Ch. Indicum. These two names 

 designate two tolerably distinct races which are now generally 

 believed to have sprung from one and the same species. How- 

 ever this may be, some of the varieties in cultivation at the 

 present time cannot be referred to one or the other with cer- 

 tainty, and^to these has recently been added a third group of 

 varieties from Japan remarkable alike for their ragged gro- 

 tesque-looking flower-heads and the unusual tints of the flowers. 

 The history of the garden varieties is rather obscure, and the 

 wild form is unknown to botanists, but the later progress in 

 the production of improved varieties is more familiar. In some 

 books we find the year 1764 given as the date of the original 

 introduction of some Chinese variety or varieties. But 1790 

 is the earliest authentic account we have, at which period it 

 was introduced into France by a merchant named Blanchard ; 

 and in 1826 an amateur of Toulouse named Bernet conceived 

 the idea of raising plants from seed, which resulted in the 

 acquisition of some new varieties. This method was soon 

 adopted by other growers, at first in France and subsequently 

 in England, where Chrysanthemums now receive more attention 

 than in any other country. The variety or race called Indicum 

 was imported from China about the year 1835, and this was sub- 

 jected to the same procedure, and crossed with varieties of the 

 older strain. 



We must not omit to mention that, besides the ordinary 

 double flowers of this family, in which the florets are elon- 

 gated on one side only, there is another form having the 

 disk florets elongated and regularly 5-toothed. Varieties of the 

 latter class were introduced by Fortune. The colours and tints 

 of Chrysanthemums belong to the red, yellow, and orange 

 group, with innumerable intermediate hues and pure white. 

 Florists divide them into Large-flowered (fig. 139) and Small- 

 flowered or Pompon (fig. 140) ; the former being the type of 

 those first introduced. There are also the Japanese varieties 



