General Information

COMMON NAMES: Dahlia TRADITIONAL NAMES: Tēria (RR MG AT MK MT AK) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Mexico (parent spp.) COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Not naturalised; Land, lowlands, gardens SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Ornamental flowers KEY FEATURES: Perennial herb to 2m. STEM hollow. ROOT ~tuberous. LEAVES opposite, to 30cm; usually divided into 3-7 lateral leaflets, sometimes divided once more; LEAFLETS oval, to 8cm, with teeth. FLOWER terminal, showy, often nodding; central florets yellow; edge florets large, red, orange, yellow, purple or white. Cvs. several thousand.

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+++	P	++		+		-		-

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Dahlia X hortensis Guillaumin
SYNONYMS: Dahlia pinnata [sensu of Hort.]; Dahlia pinnata X Dahlia coccineaDahlia juarezii [sensu GW]

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ASTERIDAE; Asterales; ASTERACEAE

IDENTIFICATION: Perennial herb to 2m. STEM hollow. ROOT ~tuberous. LEAVES opposite, to 30cm, simple or with 3-7 lateral leaflets sometimes further divided; leaflets oval, to 8cm, with teeth. FLOWER terminal, stalked, showy and large,often nodding; central flowers (florets) small and yellow; edge flowers (florets) large and red, orange, yellow, white and/or purple. Cvs. several thousand!

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.844 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.317 Tropica
p.5/285 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.105 R Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.401i Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zupB03a, zM03a, zD03a

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