OF ORNAMENTAL ANNUALS. 
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sandy plains, near King George’s Sound, and was introduced in 1827- The seeds, which may be purchased in 
any seed-shop, may either be sown on a hotbed in February and planted out in May, or sown in April or May 
in the open border; or the plant may be grown in pots as directed for Rhodanthe Manglesii , when it will attain 
an enormous size. 
GENUS XXXI. 
HELICHRYSUM, Vaill THE EVERLASTING FLOWER. 
Lin. Syst. SYNGENESIA SUPERFLUA. 
Generic Character. —Head liomogamous, having all the flowers 
tubular and hermaphrodite, or heterogamous with the ray-flowers in one 
series, slender, and a very few of them female. Involucrum imbri¬ 
cated, with scarious scales. Receptacle flat, naked or honeycombed, 
or fringed. Achenia beakless, sessile. Pappus in one series, bristles 
scabrous, free, or combined at the base. 
Description, &c. —The everlasting flowers were formerly nearly all classed with those of the genus 
Gnaphalium or cudweed ; from which they differ essentially in wanting the woolly herbage from which the genus 
Gnaplialium takes its name. Most of these are now called Helichrysum, sometimes erroneously spelt Elichrysum, 
as it is derived from Helios, the sun, and chryson , gold. The common Everlasting-flower, which is so much sold 
in Paris under the name of Immortelle, and which Linnasus called Gnaphalium orientate, is now found to belong 
to Helichrysum. 
1.—HELICHRYSUM BRACTEATUM, Willd. THE BRACTEATED, OR LARGE GOLDEN EVERLASTING. 
Synonymes.— Xeranthemum lucidum, IJcenk.; Elichrysum bractea- 
tum, Vent. ; Helichrysum chrysanthemum, Pers. 
Engravings.— Bot. Rep. t. 375 ; and our fig, 8, in Plate 34. 
Specific Character. — Plant erect, branched, rather scabrous. 
Leaves lanceolate, repand, acuminated. Hoads terminal, furnished 
with from 1 to 3 foliaceous bracteas. Involucral scales glabrous, 
radiant. 
Varieties. —Professor De Candolle mentions three, but only the 
following is known in British gardens : H. b. 2 albidum, Dec. The 
involucral scales which form the ray are white, with a golden yellow disk. 
Description, &c.— A very handsome Everlasting-flower, with bright yellow golden-looking scales, which 
have quite a metallic lustre in the sun. It is a native of the eastern and central parts of New Holland, whence 
it was sent home in 1799. Seeds are common in the seed-shops under the names of Xeranthemum lucidum and 
Elichrysum hracteatum, and they are generally sown on a hotbed in February or March, to plant out in May. 
They will, however, do very well if sown in the open border in April or May ; and in sheltered situations if 
allowed to sow themselves, the young plants will live through the winter uninjured. The flowers when gathered 
will keep for several years without undergoing any change. 
2.—HELICHRYSUM BICOLOR, Lindt. THE TWO-COLOURED HELICHRYSUM. 
Engravings.— Bot. Reg. t. 1814 ; and ouvfig. 6, in Plate 34. i lanceolate ; lower ones obtuse at the base, ciliated ; upper ones subu- 
Specific Character. —Stem furrowed, branched. Leaves linear- | late. Involucral scales acute. 
Description, &c.— This species, which differs very little in general appearance from H. hracteatum, derives 
its name of II. hicolor from a slight copper-coloured tinge on the tips of the outer series of involucral scales. It 
is a native of Van Diemen’s Land, and quite hardy; but we do not know where seeds are now to be procured. 
It was however introduced by Mr. Low of the Clapton nursery in 1835, and probably seeds may still be 
purchased there. 
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