Scarlet Mexican sunflower

THE composite or daisy family, botanically called Asteraceae, is one of the large families of garden plants, most of them with daisy-like blossoms often providing brilliant hues throughout the summer months. Asteraceae is characterised by tiny flowers collected in heads simulating a single flower. These flowers are of two kinds, with and without a tongue-like ray; a typical daisy-like composite has both florets - disc florets in the middle fringed by ray florets. Many popular garden plants such as chrysanthemums, dahlias, marigolds, daisies, zinnias and sunflowers belong to this family.

The scarlet mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifolia, is a spectacular shrubby annual having both disc and ray florets. It is a native of Mexico and Central America and grows upto 120 cm. The plant resembles the popular sunflower. Its leaves are 15 cm long, coarsely hairy, heart shaped and sometimes three lobed. The daisy like flower heads are 8 cm across with an eyecatching orange-scarlet ray florets.

T. rotundifolia is little known in the gardens, but deserves a prominent place there as it is a good gap filler at the back of herbaceous border. The plant thrives well under South Indian conditions and is easy to grow. The seeds can be raised in seedpans. The seedlings with four leaves are transplanted to sunny positions in the garden, preferably with light soil.

The plant putforths its brilliant blossoms within two months of planting. It is generally free from insect-pests and diseases under South Indian conditions.

A. K. PRADEEP

SANTHOSH NAMPY

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