Common name: Gerbera Daisy, Transvaal Daisy, African Daisy, Barberton Daisy

Botanical name: Gerbera jamesonii - [ (GER-ber-uh) named after Dr. Traugott Gerber, German naturalist; (jay-mess-OWN-ee-eye) named after Robert Jameson, 19th century amateur botanist who discovered the species ] Family: Asteraceae or alternatively Compositeae - [ (ass-ter-AY-see-ay) the aster (daisy) family; formerly Compositae ]

Origin: South Africa

Gerbera species bear a large capitulum with striking, 2-lipped ray florets in yellow, orange, white, pink or red colors. The capitulum, which has the appearance of a single flower, is actually composed of hundreds of individual flowers. The morphology of the flowers varies depending on their position in the capitulum.

Gerbera is very popular and widely used as a decorative garden plant or as cut flowers. The domesticated cultivars are mostly a result of a cross between Gerbera jamesonii and another South African species Gerbera viridifolia. The cross is known as Gerbera hybrida. Thousands of cultivars exist. They vary greatly in shape and size. Colours include white, yellow, orange, red, and pink. The centre of the flower is sometimes black. Often the same flower can have petals of several different colours.

Courtesy: - Flowers of India - Dave's Garden - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia