WorldFloraDB - Dahlia

Characteristics

Tuberous perennial herbs or shrubs, rarely epiphytes. Branches few to numerous from a usually woody caudex, foliose. Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3, petiolate, simple to 1–3-pinnate. Inflorescences solitary or aggregated into loose cymes. Capitula radiate, often large, nodding, pedunculate; involucral bracts free, 2-seriate; outer bracts herbaceous, becoming reflexed; inner bracts broader, green to scarious, translucent; receptacle flat; paleae ovate, obtuse to subacute, scarious. Ray florets sterile, numerous, ligulate, apically entire or denticulate, showy, variously coloured, often in shades of white, pink, purple, red, yellow or orange, indistinctly many-veined. Disc florets bisexual (innermost sometimes functionally male), numerous, 5-lobed. Achenes linear, apically contracted with a thickened cap. Pappus absent or 2 rudimentary awns or filiform bristles.

More

Herbaceous perennials often woody toward base, or scrambling epiphytes. Lvs opposite or whorled, simple and entire or lobed, to 1-3-pinnate. Capitula pedunculate, solitary. Involucral bracts in 2 rows; outer row foliaceous; inner row membranous. Receptacle flat or nearly so; scales present. Outer florets ♀ or sterile, ligulate, white, pale lavender to deep purple, or yellow to orange to deep scarlet. Inner florets ☿, tubular (or replaced by ligulate florets in many cvs). Achenes all similar, linear-oblong or spathulate, compressed but not winged, often constricted below a disc at apex; pappus usually 0, sometimes of 2 rudimentary awns.

-note the names of these popular ornamentals are not authoritative – there are many cultivated Dahlia species and cultivars and much confusion in identification!

Life form	perennial
Growth form	herb
Growth support	-
Foliage retention	deciduous
Sexuality	hermaphrodite
Pollination	-
Spread	-
Mature width (meter)	0.1 - 0.5
Mature height (meter)	0.1 - 0.5
Root system	-
Rooting depth (meter)	-
Root diameter (meter)	-
Flower color
Blooming months	-
Fruit color	-
Fruiting months	-
Nitrogen fixer	-
Photosynthetic pathway	-

Environment

Light
Soil humidity	-
Soil texture	-
Soil acidity
Soil nutriment	-
Hardiness (USDA)

Usage

Uses	-
Edible	-
Therapeutic use	-
Human toxicity	-
Animal toxicity	-

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings, divisions, seedlings or tubers.

Mode	cuttings divisions seedlings tubers
Germination duration (days)	5 - 20
Germination temperacture (C°)	18 - 21
Germination luminosity	-
Germination treatment	-
Minimum temperature (C°)	-
Optimum temperature (C°)	-
Size	-
Vigor	-
Productivity	-