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Dimorphotheca (From dimorphos two-formed)

(from dimorphos, two-formed, and theca, a receptacle; disk-florets of two forms). ORD. Compositae. A genus of about twenty species of smooth, hairy, or glandular annual herbs or shrubby perennials, natives of South Africa. Flower-heads long-stalked; disk orange-yellow or purplish; ray the same colours or white. Leaves radical or alternate, entire, toothed, or cut, often narrow. These half-hardy plants grow freely in well-drained loam; they are suitable for open air cultivation during summer, and for cool greenhouse in winter. The annual sorts should be sown in heat, under glass, in spring, and planted out at the end of May. The perennials are readily grown from cuttings.

D. Barberiae (Mrs. Barber's). A purple-flowered greenhouse plant, from Caffraria, 1862. Perennial. SYN. D. lilacina. (B. M. 5337.) D. chrysanthemifolia (Chrysanthemum-leaved). fl.-heads yellow, large, opening about eleven in the forenoon, and closing again by three or four in the afternoon. April to July. l. obovate, sub-lyrate, roughish. Stem suffruticose, erect. h. 2ft. 1790. SYN. Calendula chrysanthemifolia (under which name it is figured in B. M. 2218).

D. cuneata (wedge-leaved). fl.-heads (both disk and ray) orange. l. cuneate or lanceolate, coarsely toothed, nearly glabrous, glanddotted. h. 2ft. to 3ft. A beautiful much-branched greenhouse shrub. SYN. Arctotis glutinosa. (B. M. 1343.) D. graminifolia (grassy-leaved). fl.-heads 2 1/2in. across, handsome, on long terminal peduncles; ray-florets white above, orange-brown beneath; disk-florets deep purple, dotted with the yellow of the anthers. April. l. linear, or linear sub-spathulate, from 3in. to 5in. long, entire or slightly toothed. Stem between herbaceous and woody, weak, terete, green, varying in length, simple or slightly branched. h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1861. A rather straggling plant. SYN. Calendula graminifolia. (B. M. 5252.) D. lilacina (lilac). A synonym of D. Barberiae.

D. Tragus (Tragus). fl. white, purple, opening in the morning and closing again in the afternoon. May, June. l. linear, somewhat toothleted, muricate, dotted beneath. Stem suffruticose. h. 2ft. 1774. SYN. Calendula Tragus var. (under which name it is figured in B. M. 1981).