About Gerbera jamesonii Adlam
Gerbera jamesonii Adlam is a tufted perennial herb. It produces naked flowering scapes that can reach up to 75 cm in height. Its leaves are petiolate, deeply undulating or lobed, and measure 15–42 cm long (and can grow up to 68 cm long) by 4–14 cm wide. All leaves are gathered in a basal rosette. This species produces showy flower heads, called capitula, that are 4–5 cm in diameter. The ray florets are most commonly orange-red, and rarely appear in yellow, orange, white or pink. It flowers from September to December and can reproduce asexually. Its seeds have a pappus made of bristles. This species is endemic to Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and Eswatini. It has been introduced to several countries in Latin America, Equatorial Africa, and Southeast Asia. Gerbera jamesonii grows at elevations between 500 and 1670 m above sea level. It occurs on rocky slopes in woodland, usually growing in partial shade or underneath bushes and trees. Its flowers are pollinated by bees and other insects, and its light seeds are easily dispersed by wind. This species is the ancestor of all cultivated Gerbera forms. Cultivated gerberas may also originate from a cross between Gerbera jamesonii and Gerbera viridifolia, which was originally made by R. I. Lynch in Cambridge, England around 1890. Lynch named this hybrid Gerbera × cantebrigiensis, which is known today as Gerbera × hybrida. Today, thousands of cultivars of this hybrid exist, and cut gerberas are an important traded product. Cultivated gerberas rank among the most important ornamental crops in the world, alongside rose, chrysanthemum, carnation, lily, and tulip. Popular cultivars include "Sazou", "Sangria", "Rosalin", "Pink Elegance", "Tropic Blend", "Piton", "Winter Queen", "Savannah", "Primrose", and many others. Cultivated gerberas are propagated both by tissue culture and by seeds.
