FELICIA ANGUSTIFOLIA

Felicia is a genus of small shrubs, perennial or annual herbaceous plants, with 85 known species, that is assigned to the daisy family (Asteraceae). Like in almost all Asteraceae, the individual flowers are pentamerous, small and clustered in typical heads, and which are surrounded by an involucre of, in this case between two and four whorls of, bracts. In Felicia, the centre of the head is taken by yellow, seldomly whitish or blackish blue disc florets, and is almost always surrounded by one single whorl of mostly purple, sometimes blue, pink, white or yellow ligulate florets and rarely ligulate florets are absent. These florets sit on a common base (or receptacle) and are not individually subtended by a bract (or palea).

Most species occur in the Cape Floristic Region, which is most probably the area where the genus originates and had most of its development. Some species can be found in the eastern half of Africa up to Sudan and the south-western Arabian peninsula, while on the west coast species can be found from the Cape to Angola and one species having outposts on the Cameroon-Nigeria border and central Nigeria. Some species of Felicia are cultivated as ornamentals and several hybrids have been developed for that purpose.

Shown here is Felicia angustifolia, sometimes referred to as F. hyssopifolia. It is a well branched subshrub, becoming rather straggling with age, to 30cm or more in height. Leaves linear, 8-12mm long, softly hairy. Flowerheads 2.5cm or more across, the ray florets blue or mauve, on long naked stalks. Several hybrids have been developed of more compact and bushier habit, that flower profusely in late Spring to Summer.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

FRAGRANT VIOLETS

Viola is a genus of flowering plants in the violet family Violaceae. It is the largest genus in the family, containing between 525 and 600 species. Most species are found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, however some are also found in widely divergent areas such as Hawaii, Australasia, and the Andes. Some Viola species are perennial plants, some are annual plants, and a few are small shrubs.

A large number of species, varieties and cultivars are grown in gardens for their ornamental flowers. In horticulture the term "pansy" is normally used for those multi-coloured, large-flowered cultivars which are raised annually or biennially from seed and used extensively in bedding. The terms "viola" and "violet" are normally reserved for small-flowered annuals or perennials, including the type species.

Viola odorata is a species of the genus Viola native to Europe and Asia, but has also been introduced to North America and Australia. It is commonly known as wood violet, sweet violet, English violet, common violet, florist's violet, or garden violet.

The sweet scent of this flower has proved popular throughout the generations particularly in the late Victorian period, and has consequently been used in the production of many cosmetic fragrances and perfumes. The scent of violet flowers is distinctive with only a few other flowers having a remotely similar odour. References to violets and the desirable nature of the fragrance go back to classical sources such as Pliny and Horace when the name ‘Ion’ was in use to describe this flower from which the name of the distinctive chemical constituents of the flower, the ionones – is derived. The leaves are edible and contain mucilage.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

HEARTSEASE

Viola tricolor, known as heartsease or love-in-idleness, is a common European wild flower, in the Violaceae family, growing as an annual or short-lived perennial. It is the progenitor of the cultivated pansy, and is therefore sometimes called wild pansy; before the cultivated pansies were developed, "pansy" was an alternative name for the wild form.

V. tricolor is a small plant of creeping and ramping habit, reaching at most 15 cm in height, with flowers about 1.5 cm in diameter. It grows in short grassland on farms and wasteland, chiefly on acid or neutral soils. It is usually found in partial shade. It readily self-seeds and will happily grow throughout one's whole garden.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

ERYNGIUM

Eryngium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae. There are about 250 species. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, with the centre of diversity in South America. Common names include eryngo and sea holly (though the genus is not related to the true hollies, Ilex). These are annual and perennial herbs with hairless and usually spiny leaves. The dome-shaped umbels of steely blue or white flowers have whorls of spiny basal bracts. Some species are native to rocky and coastal areas, but the majority are grassland plants.

Species are grown as ornamental plants in gardens. Numerous hybrids have been selected for garden use, of which E. × oliverianum and E. × tripartitum have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Many species of Eryngium have been used as food and medicine. Eryngium campestre is used as a folk medicine in Turkey. Eryngium creticum is a herbal remedy for scorpion stings in Jordan. Eryngium elegans is used in Argentina and Eryngium foetidum in Latin America and South-East Asia. Native American peoples used many species for varied purposes. Cultures worldwide have used Eryngium extracts as anti-inflammatory agents.

Eryngium yields an essential oil and contains many kinds of terpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, coumarins, and steroids. The roots have been used as vegetables or sweetmeats. Young shoots and leaves are sometimes used as vegetables like asparagus. E. foetidum is used in parts of the Americas and Asia as a culinary herb. It is not unlike coriander, or cilantro, and is sometimes mistaken for it. It may be called spiny coriander or culantro.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

FRENCH LAVENDER

Lavandula (common name lavender) is a genus of 39 known species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to the Old World and is found from Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, southern Europe across to northern and eastern Africa, the Mediterranean, southwest Asia to southeast India. Many members of the genus are cultivated extensively in temperate climates as ornamental plants for garden and landscape use, for use as culinary herbs, and also commercially for the extraction of essential oils. The most widely cultivated species, Lavandula angustifolia, is often referred to as lavender, and there is a colour named for the shade of the flowers of this species.

With its lovely scent, great looks and many uses, French Lavender (Lavandula stoechas) is one of the best lavenders to grow in the more humid regions of eastern Australia. It is ideal for garden beds and pots and can flower year round. Once established it is also very drought tolerant. French Lavender needs a sunny position. When grown in too much shade it will stretch towards the light. A well drained neutral to slightly alkaline soil or potting mix is best.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

NATIVE FUCHSIA

Eremophila maculata, also known as Spotted Emu Bush, Swamp Fuchsia, or Native Fuchsia, is a shrub which is native to Australia and is in the Scrophulariaceae family. It occurs in Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. It grows to between 0.2 and 3 metres in height and has red, pink, mauve, orange or yellow flowers between late autumn and late summer (May to November in Australia). The species was first published in 1822 by J.B. Ker Gawler as Stenochilus maculatus Ker Gawl.

E.maculata is widely cultivated in many areas and, although best suited to dry climates, can be successfully grown in more humid areas. The var.brevifolia is, however, difficult to maintain in such areas. The species prefers soils which are alkaline to mildly acidic and well drained. Full sun is preferred and, once established, the plant tolerates extended dry periods. It is also tolerant of at least moderate frost.

Propagation from seed of Eremophila species is unreliable. A number of treatment methods have been tried including sowing the ripe fruits, sowing of aged and washed fruits and splitting the fruits to extract the seeds prior to sowing. The latter involves splitting the fruits in halves and quarters but some seeds are inevitably damaged during the process. Most forms of E. maculata strike readily from cuttings of hardened, current season's growth.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

SPRING IN THE GARDEN

Pansies and "Princess" Lavender growing in a herbaceous border in the garden. Spring has definitely sprung!

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

DUTCH IRIS

A Dutch iris,  which is the name given to the many hybrids of Iris xiphium and Iris tingitana and Iris latifolia, sometimes called Iris × hollandica, is shown here. They usually bloom in Spring, but we are seeing some of these flowering unseasonably in our mild Autumn here in Melbourne.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

BRACHYSCOME

Brachyscome multifida is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae. Common names include cut-leaved daisy, rocky daisy, and Hawkesbury daisy. The species is endemic to Australia.

This species has an erect, matting growth habit growing to 45 cm in height. The foliage is fine and deeply divided and the flowerheads arise above the foliage on 4 to 40 cm long peduncles. The ray florets are mauve, pink or white and are 7 to 10 mm long. The main flowering season is early autumn to mid winter, but the daisy-like flowerheads may appear throughout the year.

The species and its cultivars are popular in horticulture, and are used for mass plantings, in hanging baskets, in borders and spilling over retaining walls. They can be grown in a wide range of soils and tolerates dry conditions, but will benefit from supplementary watering. Plants are best situated in a position with full sun, although partial shade is tolerated. Although relatively frost tolerant, foliage may burn. The plants is readily propagated by cuttings which strike readily. Plants may also be propagated by layering or from seed, though germination rate is usually poor.

This post is part of the Nature Footsteps Floral Macros meme,
and also part of the Our World Tuesday meme.

MAUVE BACOPA

Bacopa (or water hyssop), is a member the Scrophulariaceae family. The cultivar 'Mauve Pink' is a low-growing perennial which produces a profusion of tiny, mauve-pink flowers and is usually grown as an annual. Leaves are rounded and mid-green. Flowers are pink and star-shaped. Great in hanging baskets, or as a companion plant in pots and borders. Thrives in very moist soil and full sun.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.