Minggu, 19 Juni 2011

Botanical description of gerbera (part1)




From a systematic point of view, the genus gerbera, belong to the dicotyledones class, asteraceae tubuliflorae (compositae) family, mutisiae tribe. It is a grassy plant, perennial, acaulescent, with acapitulum inflorescenense, seeds (fruits) similar to hairless achenes and mucronate, about 1 cm long.

The plant has a rhizome from which the roots on one side generally grow to the depth of a metre or more in the soil, and on the other, the leaves allgather around the foot (rhizome), with a roundish contour in the first stages of development, that with growth become deeply engrave, erect, polymorphous, lanceolate and often supported by long petioles.

When the roots grow in their natural conditions they produce a large root and numerous smaller lateral roots, with gerberas submitted to forcing (greenhouse cultivation), as most of those grown are, the large root is recognisable only in the initial stage of development, subsequently, in fact, it extends to assume a twisting and a irregular aspect.

Having said this, it appears that the important part of the root system is represented by a large number of temporary roots (little roots), these initially have a tendency to spread under the surface of the soil and then to penetrate almost directly down wards. Within 2-3 years (in loose enough soils) such roots, which have branched very little and only in the distal portion, accumulate reserve substances (storage), and can reach about 80-100cm in depth.

The upper-side of the leaves varies in colour from clear green to dark green depending on the variety, and the underside is of a greyer tone. On the underside there are also veins visible, of which the mainvein is prominent above the rest of the leaf. The flower steams are cylindrical, erect, leaf-less, and are about 50-80 cm high

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