Friday 13 June 2014
Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial
plants native mainly in Mexico, but also Central America, and Colombia. A
member of the Asteraceae or Compositae, dicotyledonous plants, related species
include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum and zinnia. The dahlia was declared
the national flower of Mexico in 1963. The tubers were grown as a food crop by
the Aztecs, but this use largely died out after the Spanish Conquest. Attempts
to introduce the tubers as a food crop in Europe were unsuccessful. Source
