Japanese name: コレオステフス Scientific name:Coleostephus
[Overview]
An annual 10–50 cm tall.
The stem usually branches.
The leaves are simple and alternate, spatulate to lanceolate, and thick.
The flowers are solitary flower heads 2–3 cm across at the stem tips, with both ray florets and tubular florets yellow.
The fruit is an achene.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained place.
It dislikes heat and humidity.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
Be careful, as excess moisture causes root rot.
Apply basal fertilizer, and during flowering give liquid fertilizer as a top dressing about twice a month to once every 10 days.
Removing spent flowers promptly keeps the plant from becoming exhausted.
Pests and diseases include gray mold, damping-off and aphids.
[Notes]
The plant mainly cultivated in Japan is Coleostephus multicaulis, called Chrysanthemum multicaule after its former scientific name.
