394 BRECK’S NEW BOOK OF FLOWERS. 
lilac, etc. The flower is handsome when it first com- 
mences blooming; the central, or disk part of it, which 
contains the florets, as they begin to form seed, assumes 4 
conical shape, and a brown, husky appearance, which gives 
the flower a coarse, unsightly look. 
Double Zinnia.—Within a few years, the great novelty 
of Double Zinnias has been disseminated. This, of all 
other flowers, was considered one of the most unlikely 
ever to become a pet, as the large central disk greatly 
disfigures the flower; but in the double flowers, this un- 
sightly portion is transformed into regular petals, which, 
when fully expanded, form a hemispherical shape, be- 
come regularly imbricated, and the flower might be 
taken for a well-formed Dahlia, as they are nearly as 
large. The colors are the same as in the single varieties. 
The plants require considerable room to show off to ad- 
vantage, and should not be planted less than two feet 
apart; they produce an abundance of bloom through the 
summer; a plant in full bloom is very showy. It is well 
to put out the plants within six inches of each other at 
first, as many of them will show semi-double flowers, 
which should be rejected; but the plants with full double 
flowers, as soon as they appear, may be removed to the 
bed prepared for them. With a little care, they will not 
be much checked. 
