BAHIA 



DAISY OBDEB 



TAGETES 525 



perennial more or less hoary or woolly 

 herbs, with opposite or alternate leaves, 

 once, twice, or thrice pinnately dissected 

 or lobed, or the upper ones rarely nearly 

 all entire. Flower-heads yellow, with an 

 ovoid bell-shaped or hemispherical in- 

 volucre. Receptacle flat, naked, or slightly 

 pitted. Achenes linear or oblong, acute - 

 angled, hairy or smooth. 



B. confertiflora (Eriophyllum, con- 

 fertiflorwni). — A pretty herbaceous per- 

 ennial 6-18 in. high, native of California, 

 and more or less covered with woolly 

 hairs. The small wedge-shaped leaves 

 are pinnately cut into 5-7 linear lobes, 

 and the naked flower-stems are terminated 

 by a. small dense cluster of yellow starry 

 flower-heads. 



Culture and Propagation. — These 

 plants thrive in light, sandy, weU-drained 

 loam, and are suitable for banks or 

 borders. They are readily increased by 

 dividing the roots in early autumn or 

 spring, but may also be increased from 

 seeds sown in cold frames in autumn, or in 

 gentle heat in spring, afterwards pricking 

 out the seedlings preparatory to transfer- 

 ring them to the open border. 



B. lanata [Eriophyllum ccBspitosum). 

 A much-branched grayish N. American 

 perennial 6-15 in. bugh, with usually 

 alternate, deeply divided, or sometimes 

 strap-shaped entire leaves. Flowers in 

 summer, yellow, solitary, numerous. 



Gultv/re dc. as above. 



PALAFOXIA.— A genus with about 6 

 species of erect-growing roughish downy 

 herbs having alternate (or lower opposite) 

 narrow entire leaves, and white, pinky or 

 purple flower-heads in loose panicles. 



P. hookeriana (Polypteris hooheriana). 

 A compact-growing bushy annual, about 

 1 ft. high, native of the Rocky Mountains, 

 with ovate lance-shaped leaves, and 

 numerous carmine-rose flower-heads in 

 loose clusters in summer. 



Culture amd Propagation. — This 

 species flourishes in ordinary garden soil 

 of a sandy nature. It likes warm sunny 

 positions, and when grown in bold masses 

 is very effective in the border or rock 

 garden. Seeds should be sown in gentle 

 heat in March and the seedlings trans- 

 ferred to the open air at the end of May 

 when they have been hardened off. 



P. texana (PoVypteris texana). — A 

 pretty annual l-l| ft. high, native of 



Texas and Mexico, with a compact bushy 

 habit, and somewhat narrower leaves than 

 those of P. hooheriana. The flower-heads 

 are also borne in loose clusters, and are 

 at first of a violet-rose, afterwards fading 

 to deep pink. 



Culture da. as above for P. liooher- 

 ia/na. 



HYMENATHERUM. — A small 

 genus of annual or perennial herbs, erect 

 or diffuse in habit, often traihng, smooth, 

 or in one species densely woolly. Leaves 

 opposite or alternate, pinnately dissected, 

 or entire. Flower-heads rather small, 

 stalked, or rarely sessile, yellow or orange. 

 Involucre usually bell-shaped. Receptacle 

 flat, naked, or very slightly fringed. Ray 

 florets strap-shaped, spreading, entire. 



H. tenuilobum. — A tufted and some- 

 what downy annual 6-12 in. high, native 

 of Texas. Leaves alternate, pinnately 

 cut into entire linear awl-shaped divisions. 

 Flower-heads yellow, solitary, produced in 

 summer and autumn. 



Culture amd Propagation. — This 

 annual is scarcely ever seen in gardens. 

 It flourishes in ordinary soil, and may be 

 used as an edging to flower-borders and 

 beds. The seeds may be sown in the 

 open air in warm corners in autumn, and 

 also in spring, afterwards pricking the 

 seedlings out 3-4 in. apart. 



TAGETES (French and Afeican 

 Marigold).— A genus containing about 

 20 species of erect or spreading annual 

 herbs, with opposite, pinnately cut or 

 rarely undivided and serrulate leaves. 

 Involucre consists of about 5 bracts 

 united into a tube. Ray florets normally 

 5, rarely fewer, persistent, entire or 2- 

 lobed. Achenes linear elongated, with a 

 pappus of 5 bristles. 



Culture amd Propagation. — Tagetes 

 thrive in rich loamy soil, and look very 

 gay in the flower border or in beds during 

 the summer and autumn months. They 

 may be raised from seeds in the same 

 way as Zinnias (p. 512), and their general 

 culture is the same. Given a rich and 

 well-drained loamy soil Tagetes grow 

 with great vigour and produce immense 

 numbers of blossoms. They are raised 

 by sowing seeds in gentle heat in February 

 and March in shallow boxes or pans of 

 light rich sandy soil, just covering the long 

 black shining seeds with a little soil. They 

 soon germinate, and when large enough to 

 handle should be pricked out into similar 



