Elegant zinnia (Zinnia elegans)

Elegant zinnia (Zinnia elegans) is a plant species in the Asteraceae, annual shrub, 76 cm high, solitary and showy flowers at the tip of the stem, easy to grow and prefers loam soils with full sun in forests, agricultural land, rice fields, irrigation canals, roadside and abandoned lands.

Z. elegans has an erect stem, few branches, tubular, green with white hairs, is not woody and breaks easily. The leaves are attached along the stem, opposite, in the shape of an elongated triangle, rounded base, pointed tip, green and sometimes have brown streaks.

Purple flower buds surrounding a black and yellow disc. The lanceolate leaves are opposite the flower head. Flowering occurs during the summer months. Elegant zinnia has hundreds of cultivars in many colors, sizes and flower shapes.

Flower colors range from white and cream to pink, red, purple, green, yellow, apricot, orange, salmon and bronze. Some have striped, speckled or two colored petals. This species grows well in dry, warm and winter-free areas.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Tribe: Heliantheae
Subtribe: Zinniinae
Genus: Zinnia
Species: Zinnia elegans

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