Florist's Cineraria
Encyclopedia
The Florist's Cineraria (Pericallis x hybrida) is a flowering plant
in the family Asteraceae
. It originated as a hybrid between Pericallis cruenta and P. lanata, both natives of the Canary Islands
. The hybrid was first developed in the British
royal gardens in 1777. It was originally known as Cineraria x hybrida, but the genus
Cineraria
is now restricted to a group of South Africa
n species, with the Canary Island species being transferred to the genus Pericallis
; some botanists also treat it in a broad view of the large and widespread genus Senecio. Some varieties are sold under the trade name Senetti.
s. For spring flowering the seeds are sown in mid spring in well-drained pots or pans, in soil
of three parts loam
to two parts leaf mould, with one-sixth sand
; cover the seed thinly with fine soil, and press the surface firm.
When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out in pans or pots of similar soil, and when more advanced pot them singly in 10 cm pots, using soil a trifle less sandy. They should be grown in shallow frames facing the north. If so situated that the sun shines upon the plants in the middle of the day, they must be slightly shaded; give plenty of air, and never allow them to get dry. When well established with roots, shift them into 15 cm pots, which should be liberally supplied with manure water as they get filled with roots.
In winter remove to a pit or house, where a little heat can be supplied whenever there is a risk of their getting frozen. They should stand on a moist bottom, but must not be subjected to cold draughts. When the flowering stems
appear, give manure water at every alternate watering. Seeds sown in early spring, and grown on in this way, will be in flower by Christmas if kept in a temperature of from 5° to 7°C at night, with a little more warmth in the day. Those sown in April and May will follow them during the early spring months, the latter set of plants being subjected to a temperature of 4° to 5°C during the night.
If grown much warmer than this, the Cineraria maggot may damage the leaves, tunnelling its way between the upper and lower surfaces and making whitish irregular markings all over. Such affected leaves must be picked off and burned. Aphid
s are also a major pest.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the family Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
. It originated as a hybrid between Pericallis cruenta and P. lanata, both natives of the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. The hybrid was first developed in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
royal gardens in 1777. It was originally known as Cineraria x hybrida, but the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Cineraria
Cineraria
Cineraria is now generally treated as a genus of about 50 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to southern Africa...
is now restricted to a group of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n species, with the Canary Island species being transferred to the genus Pericallis
Pericallis
Pericallis is a small genus of about 14 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to the Canary Islands and Madeira. The genus includes herbaceous plants and small subshrubs. In the past, the genus was often included in either Cineraria or Senecio.The Florist's Cineraria is a...
; some botanists also treat it in a broad view of the large and widespread genus Senecio. Some varieties are sold under the trade name Senetti.
Cultivation and uses
Florist's Cinerarias can be raised freely from seedSeed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s. For spring flowering the seeds are sown in mid spring in well-drained pots or pans, in soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
of three parts loam
Loam
Loam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration . Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silty soils, and are easier to till than clay soils...
to two parts leaf mould, with one-sixth sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
; cover the seed thinly with fine soil, and press the surface firm.
When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out in pans or pots of similar soil, and when more advanced pot them singly in 10 cm pots, using soil a trifle less sandy. They should be grown in shallow frames facing the north. If so situated that the sun shines upon the plants in the middle of the day, they must be slightly shaded; give plenty of air, and never allow them to get dry. When well established with roots, shift them into 15 cm pots, which should be liberally supplied with manure water as they get filled with roots.
In winter remove to a pit or house, where a little heat can be supplied whenever there is a risk of their getting frozen. They should stand on a moist bottom, but must not be subjected to cold draughts. When the flowering stems
Plant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
appear, give manure water at every alternate watering. Seeds sown in early spring, and grown on in this way, will be in flower by Christmas if kept in a temperature of from 5° to 7°C at night, with a little more warmth in the day. Those sown in April and May will follow them during the early spring months, the latter set of plants being subjected to a temperature of 4° to 5°C during the night.
If grown much warmer than this, the Cineraria maggot may damage the leaves, tunnelling its way between the upper and lower surfaces and making whitish irregular markings all over. Such affected leaves must be picked off and burned. Aphid
Aphid
Aphids, also known as plant lice and in Britain and the Commonwealth as greenflies, blackflies or whiteflies, are small sap sucking insects, and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Aphids are among the most destructive insect pests on cultivated plants in temperate regions...
s are also a major pest.
External links
- Florist's Cineraria information from Virginia Tech
- Florist's Cineraria at Botany.com