Helipterum
(from helios, the sun, and pteron, a wing; referring to plumed pappus). Including Astelma and Rhodanthe. ORD. Compositae. A genus comprising forty-two species of half-hardy annual or perennial herbs, rarely small shrubs, of which twelve are from South Africa, and the rest from Australia. The genus is closely allied to Helichrysum, but is distinguished from it by having the hairs of the pappus plumose or feathery, instead of pilose (rough). Helipterums may be raised from seeds, sown rather thickly in the open ground, about the end of March. A rather rich soil and warm position should be selected. H. Manglesii is a pretty and useful subject for pot culture. Seeds of it should be sown early in March, and placed in a warm house; when the young plants are large enough to handle, they should be pricked off, about eight in a 5in. pot, and grown on until they flower. This species may also be grown, with others, in the open ground.
H. canescens (hoary). This is the correct name of the plant described in this work as Astelma canescens (which see). (B. M. 420, under name of Xeranthemum canescens.)
H. Cotula (Cotula-flowered). fl.-heads yellow, or white with a yellow eye; involucral scales radiating, scarious, oblong or oblong-lanceolate; pappus hairs thickened upwards, very plumose; achenes smooth. May. l. scattered (opposite in very young, weak plants), 1in. long, filiform, terete. Stem terete, generally much branched from the base, but sometimes single; branches very slender. h. 6in. to 24in. West Australia. Annual. (B. M. 5604.)
H. gnaphalioides (Gnaphalium-like). fl.-heads, peduncles terminal, 2in. to 3in. long, cottony; involucre broadly cylindrical, of several imbricated reddish scales, cottony; receptacle faveolated; florets yellow, tubular, perfectly five-toothed. June. l. alternate, 2in. long, linear, almost filiform, waved, semi-cylindrical on the back, grooved in front, downy. Stems decumbent at base, throwing up numerous erect, downy branches. h. 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1824. Perennial. (B. M. 2710, under name of Gnaphalium modestum.) H. Humboldtianum (Humboldt's).* fl.-heads small, numerous, in dense terminal corymbs; involucre cylindrical; outer bracts closely imbricate, with very short, squarrose, scarious tips; inner ones with slightly woolly-ciliate claws, and radiating, rather rigid, petal-like laminae, of a bright yellow, passing (when dry) into a metallic green. l. linear or linear-lanceolate, acute. h. 1ft. to 2ft. Western Australia, 1863. An erect woolly-white or at length nearly glabrous annual. SYN. H. Sandfordii (under which name it is figured in B. M. 5350).
H. incanum (white). fl.-heads large; involucral bracts yellow, pink, or white; peduncles leafless. l. linear, crowded at the base of the stem. h. 9in. Australia. Plant dwarf, tufted, branching, downy. Half-hardy annual. (B. M. 2881.)
H. Manglesii (Mangles').* fl.-heads showy, on long peduncles bearing a few scarious scales; involucre hemispherical, when fully out the outer bracts sessile and scarious, the inner ones with a narrow claw and oblong, radiating, petal-like lamina, varying from a pale to a rich pink, and sometimes deep purple at the base; florets yellow or purple. l. ovate-oblong or broadly-lanceolate, clasping the stem with rounded auricles. h. 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. Western Australia. An erect, glabrous, corymbosely branched annual. (B. M. 3483, 5283, 5290; B. R. 1703; S. B. F. G. ser. ii. 295, under name of Rhodanthe Manglesii.)
H. Sandfordii (Sandford's). A synonym of II. Humboldtianum.
H. speciosissimum (very showy). This is the correct name of the plant described in this work as Astelma speciosissimum which see). (A. B. R. 51, under name of Xeranthemum speciosum.)