Annuals Dictionary: Actinotus
Carrot family
Umbelliferae
Ak-ti-no’tus. A group of about 15 herbs, native to Australia and New Zealand.
Description
Leaves alternate, twice- or thrice-compound, hairy or woolly. Flowers very small and numerous, in dense umbels that are surrounded by raylike bracts.
How to Grow
Difficult to grow. Direct seed in sandy soil in spring after last frost. Scatter seeds thinly in a shallow furrow and cover with sand to 3 times the diameter of the seed. Germination occurs in 7 days. Prefers warm weather.
Actinotus helianthi
Flannelflower . A white-woolly annual, to 2 ft. (60 cm) high. Flowerheads white, to 4 in. (10 cm) across, with 10-18 raylike bracts, 3 in. (7.5 cm) across. Australia. Perennial grown as a tender annual.