国花系列:DAISY (意大利)

Daisies

No other flower is so often mentioned in romantic literature. Daisy is derived from a Celtic word that, translated into English, means “day's eye.” And this, in turn, refers to the fact that daisies open their petals at sunrise and then close them again at sunset.

The daisy flower on any plant is your clue that it belongs in the composite family, renamed Asteraaceae after a most famous group of daisies, the asters. Composites are an immense clan totaling a whopping 13,000 species. It is topped in diversity only by the orchid family with its 17,000 species.

Composite flowers are composed of two parts. The center is composed of fertile flowers known as the disk. What appear to be petals on the outside of the disk are actually sterile flowers called rays. While this looks like a simple design, these are among the most complex of all flowers. Botany references begin with the simplest plants such as mosses and then present plant families in order of their evolution. Composites are always at the end, the most evolved and complex of all blossoms.Daisies make excellent garden plants both annual and perennial, with each genus differing in hardiness and adaptability.

雏菊的传说

雏菊原产于欧洲至西亚，花朵娇小玲珑，色彩和谐，早春开花，生气盎然，天真烂漫的风采深得意大利人的喜爱，因而被推举为意大利的国花。

在罗马神话里，她是由森林的精灵维利吉斯转变来的。当维利吉斯和恋人正在开开心心地玩耍时，却被果树园的神发现了，于是她就在被追赶中变成了雏菊。

占卜爱情的花：

自古以来在西方国家，雏菊常常被用来占卜爱情。把雏菊的花瓣一片一片剥下来，每剥下一片，在心中默念：爱我，不爱我。直到最后一片花瓣，即代表爱人的心意。

另一种占卜婚姻的方法是：如果你想知道自己在什么年岁结婚，只要随手拔起一把花，看看当中有几朵雏菊，雏菊的数目便是距离结婚日的年数。

雏菊形态特征：

雏菊（Bellis perennis），别名延命菊，菊科，多年生矮小草本，簇生。高15－20厘米，叶自基部簇生，匙形或倒卵形，边缘具齿牙。早春开花，头状花序单生于花茎顶端，舌状花多轮，白色、粉红色、红色或紫色；管状花黄色。种子细小，灰白色。英文名称daisy。

雏菊栽培：

性喜冷凉气候，较耐寒，忌炎热。繁殖以播种为主，也可扦插或分株。

播种时间：播种适期为秋季10月间，由于雏菊种子极细，土壤宜选用筛过的细土，播前先浇水，使土壤充分湿润后播下种子，不必覆土，约7－10天可发芽。

花期管理：开花时宜保持土壤的湿润，并且使植株接受充足的日照，另外盆钵摆置不可太拥挤，否则植株容易徒长。花谢后宜及时摘除，保留养分，以延长花期。

浇水要点：夏季应早晚浇水一次，保持盆土湿润，否则植株容易枯萎。冬季则可减少浇水次数，每2－3天浇透水一次即可。

施肥要点：种植前基肥宜使用干牛粪、鸡粪等有机肥料。生育期则每半个月施用草花液肥一次。

雏菊应用：

雏菊宜作花坛镶边植物，也可用于岩石园、草地或盆栽。

雏菊花语：

纯洁的美、天真、幼稚、快活。