Gerbera is a genus of the family of sunflowers, Daisies and Asters -
Asteraceae, with a wide distribution from Africa to Madagascar, tropical Asia
and South America. Through hybridization, Gerberas are available in a massive
array of colors.
The meanings of gerbera flowers stem
from those attributed to the general daisy family. These meanings include innocence and purity.
Daisies are also a classic symbol of beauty however, the gerbera variety holds
an added meaning of cheerfulness, which stems from the assortment
of colors available.
Some
Interesting Facts About Gerberas
- Having a long vase life, Gerbera flowers are widely used in the Cut Flower Industry. Gerberas are great flowers for adding color to any room or garden.
- Gerberas are also referred to as Gerbera Daisies, daisy being a general name for all species in the family Asteraceae, to which Gerberas belong.
- Gerbera flowers often measure 7 inches (17.8 cm) across.
- Gerberas come in a wide range of colors - from light to dark yellow, orange, pink, brilliant scarlet, deep red, and many more.
- Gerberas can be used in landscapes as bedding plants for borders and flower beds or as Cut Flowers for table arrangements.
- Gerberas are native to Transvaal, South Africa.
- Hybrid Gerbera varieties cloned through tissue culture are uniform, and have long-lasting flowers with thick peduncles that are not light sensitive; hence, flowers remain open in the dark, lending themselves to indoor use in flower arrangements.
About
Gerbera Flower
Gerberas are perennial flowering plants
featuring a large capitulum with striking, 2-lipped ray florets. The capitulum
on the Gerberas has the appearance of a single flower, but is actually a
cluster of hundreds of individual flowers. The morphology of the flowers varies
depending on their position in the capitulum of the Gerberas.
Various
Forms of Gerbera Flowers
Gerberas come in various forms. Broadly, they
can be put into four groups-
·
Single Flowers -
These Gerberas have a row of non-overlapping petals (ray florets) with a green
center (disc florets). These are the most common gerberas available in the
market.
·
Double or duplex -
These Gerberas have a double row of overlapping petals with a green, black, or
dark red eye.
·
Crested doubles -
These doubles contain two rows of overlapping petals with one or more inner
rows of shorter petals with a green, black, or dark red eye.
·
Full crested doubles -
These have solid overlapping rows of petals with an inner row diminishing in
size, covering the eye entirely.
Source: http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/mostpopularflowers/gerberas
