GEORGINA coccinea.
Scarlet flowered Georgina.
Class and Order.—Syngenesia Polygamia Superflua.
Syn. Georgina Coccinea Wildenow Enum. Plant. Vol. 2. p. 338.
Dahlia Coccinea. Curt. Bot. Mag. pl. 762.
Root tuberous—stem upright, branched, growing from three to five feet high. Leaves pinnate, lower leaves sometimes bi-pinnate, leaflets serrate—flowers terminal, on long purple peduncles—calyx double, exterior segments somewhat reflexed, obtuse—corolla bright scarlet—radiated florets ovate, obtuse, furnished with a style only—florets of the disk, containing both stamens and pistils.
This distinct species, which is perhaps one of the most beautiful of the genus is readily distinguished by its small flower and foliage—it is a native of Mexico, and previous to its introduction to this country, by Mr. Fraser, in 1803, was cultivated in France,—endless varieties of this genus are constantly raised from seed, and by other means, and there is no flower to which we are so much indebted for ornamenting our gardens in the Autumn—the cultivation of this plant is so easy, and now so well known that little requires to be said on this point. Particular care, however, must be taken to keep the roots from frost; a poor soil will cause a smaller growth, and produce more flowers. The name Georgina was given to this genus by Wildenow, in honor of G. Georgi, a Russian Botanist, and as it is considered by the Continental and many English Botanists, to be the most correct, it has been here adopted, instead of Dahlia, a name very similar to that of another genus (Dalea) called after Dale the friend of Ray;[1] some of the most beautiful double Georginas are varieties of the Sambucifolia.
| G. frustranea. | G. atro purpurea. |
| — superflua. | — rubra. |
| — alba. | — atro-rubra. |
| — flava. | — fulgens. |
| — purpurea. | — crocea. |
[1] See Bot. Mag. page 762, and Sweets British Flower Garden, page 282.
Pl. 36.