''Dahlia imperialis'', or bell tree dahlia, is a large flowering plant of the family Asteraceae, native to the Americas.

Description

Growing between tall, it is a herbaceous perennial, rapidly growing in springtime from its tuber, after a dormant winter period (which may be brief in mild climates). From its underground base, the plant will begin sending up hollow, cane-like, 4-sided stems with swollen nodes and large, tripinnate leaves; foliage near the ground is quickly shed. The pendant or nodding flowerheads are across, with ray florets, typically a lavender or mauvish-pink in colour. This species is fast-growing, the growth spurt being linked to shorter daylight hours; the tree dahlia usually comes into flower in autumn, before the risk of frost. Propagation is by seed or by stem cuttings, around long and having at least two nodes, laid horizontally about 5–10 cm under the soil; top-dressing with pea gravel, decomposed granite, or grit is optional but helpful for moisture retention, erosion control and additional drainage. File:Dahlia imperialis (aussiegall) 001.jpg, Flowers File:Dahlia imperialis Roezl ex Ortgies (6367439125).jpg, Back of flower File:Dahlia imperialis (6367447309).jpg, Leaves File:Dahlia imperialis1.jpg, Plant

Taxonomy

After some ''Dahlia'' species were brought from Mexico to Europe in the 16th century, ''D. imperialis'' was first described in 1863 by Benedikt Roezl (1823–1885), the great Czech orchid collector and traveller who, ten years later (in 1872–73), embarked on a plant odyssey through the Americas.

Distribution and habitat

It is native to Mexico, Belize,

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...

, Nicaragua,

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

, Panama and south into

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

and Ecuador. It is a plant of the

uplands Upland or Uplands may refer to: Geography *Hill, an area of higher land, generally *Highland, an area of higher land divided into low and high points *Upland and lowland, conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level *I ...

, mainly found in the foothills of subtropical or tropical mountains (above the humidity of the lower forests), at elevations around .

Uses

Many tuberous dahlia can be prepared and consumed like potatoes or cooked carrots. Additionally, the petals can be eaten on green salads or soups, and tree dahlia leaves are used as a dietary supplement by the Q'eqchi' people of San Pedro Carchá,

Alta Verapaz Alta Verapaz () is a Departments of Guatemala, department in the north central part of Guatemala. The capital and chief city of the department is Cobán. Verapaz is bordered to the north by Petén (department), El Petén, to the east by Izabal ...

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q5208908 imperialis Flora of Southern America Plants described in 1863