Pericallis hybrida (cineraria, "Saineria")

Japanese name: サイネリア
Scientific name: Pericallis hybrida

[Overview]
A perennial grown as a potted flowering plant and treated horticulturally as an annual.
A hybrid derived from several wild species.
It is 20–50 cm tall with erect stems, and the whole plant is covered with soft hairs.
Many form a rounded, hemispherical mound.
The leaves are simple and alternate with long petioles; they are angular, heart-shaped to ovate, with fine serrations on the margin.
The veins are palmate.
The petioles are winged, but those of the basal leaves are not.
Short corymbs at the stem tips bear so many flowers that they cover the plant.
There are many cultivars, with flower colors varied, including crimson, pink, bluish purple, cream and white, and some have a bull's-eye pattern.
Cultivars are divided by habit and flower size into several groups, such as the Grandiflora, Polyantha, Multiflora and Daruma groups.

[History]
It came to Japan around the 10th year of Meiji (1877), and cultivation began in the early Showa period.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by stem cuttings.
It prefers a sunny site with soil that is well drained, retains water well and is rich in organic matter.
It dislikes heat and often dies in summer, but when grown as a perennial, keep it in partial shade from spring to autumn and take care to prevent stuffiness.
Poor air circulation makes pests and diseases more likely.

[Notes]
The alternative name Shineraria comes from the former genus name Cineraria, but because the sound of the word was considered inauspicious, it is said to have changed to Saineria.

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