older forms of Cineraria - Pericallis (Senecio) cruenta

Hi folks -

One of my favorite winter/spring flowers is Cineraria, with its bright 
magenta, clue, purple, and lavender daisies.  This Canary Island native 
annual grows over our mild winters and flowers easily on heavy clay in 
partial shade during this part of early spring.

Unfortunately, annual breeders seem to feel the best place for these plants 
is not in the garden but in the flower shop and have breed them smaller and 
more compact each year until they hardly resemble the loose, airy sprays of 
delicate flowers we used to know.  Instead, these are little 'tuffets' of 
leaves with a compact, low crown of flowers, usually strongly banded in 
white, creating a very jarring (to my eye) effect.

Recently, I've had various inquiries from others who miss the 'old' plants 
as I do.  I am wondering if anyone know of a seed strain still being 
offered, perhaps by some heirloom seed company, of the taller and looser 
Cineraria, and perhaps in the solid colored forms rather than this banded 
type that has replaced it?  Yes, I still know of a few old gardens where 
the Cineraria are still allowed to self-seed where I could possible gather 
seed myself, but this would not necessarily help others in far ranging 
areas.  And besides, it'd be nice to make sure someone is safe-guarding 
this germ-plasm for the future!

Thanks in advance,
Seán O.

No. Calif. Branch of the Mediterranean Garden Society
Seán A. O'Hara - Branch co-chair
(510) 987-0577; fax (707) 667-1173; sean@support.net
710 Jean Street, Oakland, California 94610-1459, U.S.A.
http://www.MediterraneanGardenSociety.org/branches_CANo.html
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