Callistephus

Callistephus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Tribe:	Astereae[1]
Genus:	Callistephus
Species:	C. chinensis
Binomial name
Callistephus chinensis (L.) Nees

Callistephus ( /kæˈlɪstɨfəs/)^[2] is a genus of flowering plants, in the Asteraceae (daisy family); the genus includes only one species, C. chinensis, the China Aster.

Painting by Redouté

It is native to China, and is an annual plant, growing to 20–80 cm tall with branched stems. The leaves are alternate, 4–8 cm long, ovate, and coarsely toothed. The flowerheads are variable, with either all ray florets or an outer ring of ray florets surrounding central disc florets; the ray florets are white to purple, the disc florets, if present, usually yellow.

Cultivation

It is a popular ornamental plant in gardens, and numerous cultivars are available; the cultivars are grouped by size, with very dwarf (up to 20 cm), dwarf (20–40 cm), intermediate (40–60 cm) and tall (60–80 cm). In Japan, the species is very important in the floriculture industry for cut flowers. It is still referred to by many horticulturalists as Aster chinensis.

Varieties include Emerald Isles.

References

1. ^ Richard D. Noyes and Loren H. Rieseberg (1999), "ITS sequence data support a single origin for North American Astereae (Asteraceae) and reflect deep geographic divisions in Aster s.l.", American Journal of Botany 86: 398–412, doi:10.2307/2656761, PMID 10077502 , citing Nesom, G. L. (1994), "Subtribal classification of the Astereae (Asteraceae)", Phytologia 76: 193–274 
2. ^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607

External links

• Callistephus hybrids