HAPLOCAEPHA 



DAISY OBDEB 



AECTOTIS 645 



Flower-heads yellow, solitary ; involucre 

 hemispherical with numerous bracts. 

 Receptacle flat or convex. Eay florets 

 entire or minutely 3-toothed. 



H. Leichtlini {Gorteria acauUs). — A 

 pretty S. African plant with lyrate pin- 

 nately cut leaves 6-9 in. long and 2-3 in. 

 broad. Flowers in summer, 2 in. or more 

 across, with free involucral bracts, the 

 outer ones woolly, the inner ones purplish. 

 Eay florets yellow tinged with purple be- 

 neath, and surrounding a deeper yellow 

 centre or disc. 



Culture amd Propagation. — This 

 species flourishes in light sandy soil in 

 sheltered sunny positions and may be 

 used in the rock garden or border grown 

 in bold masses. It requires protection in 

 winter from cold heavy rains, and may 

 be increased by inserting cuttings of the 

 basal shoots in cold firames in late summer 

 and autumn. 



H. scaposa. — A distinct whitish-look- 

 ing plant about 18 in. high, also native of 

 S. Africa. The flower-heads are produced 

 singly on downy stalks in August and 

 September, and sometimes last well into 

 October. The ray-florets are golden-yellow, 

 as is also the disc, although perhaps of a 

 deeper shade. 



Culture So. as above for H. Leichtlmi. 



ARCTOTIS. — A genus with 30 

 species of more or less stemless, woolly 

 or hoary herbaceous perennials, with 

 radical or alternate, entire, sinuate- 

 toothed, or pinnately dissected leaves. 

 Flower-heads on long stalks. Involucre 

 hemispherical, with bracts in many rows. 

 Disc flat or shghtly convex, pitted, stud- 

 ded with bristles between the florets. 

 Achenes grooved. Pappus consisting of 

 chafiy scales. 



Culture and Propagation. — These 

 plants love the sun but thrive also in 

 partially shaded spots, in a mixture of 

 good sandy loam and leafsoil. They 

 may be increased by cuttings taken 

 from the side shoots whenever obtainable 

 up to about the end of July, and stuck in 

 very sandy soil in a cold airy frame ; 

 also by seeds sown in cold frames or in 

 gentle heat in spring. The plajits must, 

 however, be protected under glass from 

 the end of October to June, but between 

 those months may be used with great 

 effect in the flower borders in the same 

 way as other ' bedding ' plants. In the 



mildest parts of the kingdom some kinds 

 have proved to be perfectly hardy even in 

 winter. The kinds described below are 

 all natives of S. Africa. 



A. acaulis. — An almost stemless de- 

 cumbent plant about 4 in. high, with 

 hoary ternate lyrate leaves and large 

 rich orange flowers in summer. 



Culture dc. as above. 



A. arborescens. — A bushy species 

 about 2 ft. high. Leaves hnear-oblong, 

 pinnate ; lower ones stalked, upper 

 sessile, stem-clasping. Flowers in sum- 

 mer, over 2 in. across, ray florets white 

 above, pink beneath, sinrounding a yellow 

 disc. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



A. grandiflora (A. a/ureola). — A showy 

 plant about IJ ft. high, with pinnately 

 out serrulate leaves. Flowers in July, 

 bright orange, with a somewhat cobwebby 

 involucre. 



Culture So. as above. 



A. leptorhiza. — A fine annual, a foot 

 or so high, with divided leaves and an 

 abundance of rich orange flowers in 

 summer. Seeds may be sown in April 

 in the open border where the plants are 

 to bloom. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



A. speciosa (A. breviscapa). — A stem- 

 less species about 1^ ft. high, near A. 

 acaulis, with hoary pinnately cut lyrate 

 leaves and yellow flowers in July. 



Culture dc. as above. 



VENIDIUM. — A genus with 18 

 species of half-hardy more or less woolly 

 perennials, similar to Arctotis in flowers 

 and habit, and cultivated in the same 

 way. All natives of S. Africa. 



V. calendulaceum. — A showy perennial 

 6-12 in. high. Lower leaves stalked lyrate, 

 the terminal lobe being much larger 

 than the other and more or less rounded 

 and blimtly toothed ; aU smooth and 

 green above, white beneath. Flowers 

 from July to October, very similar to those 

 of the ordinary Marigold (Calendtda 

 officinalis), bright yellow, with a dark 

 brown or almost black centre. 



Culture and Propagation. — Although 

 really a perennial it is on the whole best 

 to treat this plant as an annual. It 

 flourishes in ordinary good garden soil., 

 and may be used with advantage for the 

 fronts of flower borders or for making a 



