The species Gerbera jamesonii is distinguished by a rather shortened and somewhat thick stem axis. The internodes are short and the nodes are one above the other. It is a herbaceous, perennial, rosette plant, whose cultivation can last several years, although commercially it is only interesting to cultivate for two or three, depending on cultivars and cultivation techniques used.
▶ Root system is pivotal in origin, but as it develops, it becomes fasciculate and is composed of thick roots from which depart numerous rootlets.
▶ Credits: Public.asu. – [Image of Public Domain]
The leaves form a rosette, are elongated, about 40 cm, and slightly indented at the edges; from the petiole of some of them will evolve the flower buds, the large ones, and their length depends on the cultivar and the existing environmental conditions.
The leaves placed on the long petioles grow more or less vertically upwards, are elliptic, elongated or lanceolate, with smooth or cleft edges. They may be wrinkled on the adaxial surface and velvety on the abaxial surface.
In India, a positive correlation was found between the number of leaves of the plant and its yields when making floral cuttings, which is practical evidence that can be used to productive advantage.
The floral axis of the flower head is formed, from the outside to the inside, by several concentric rows of ligulate female flowers, usually a row of non-functional hermaphrodite flowers and, placed in the center, the male flowers. The ligulate flowers are variable in shape and thickness and have a wide range of colors, depending on the cultivar.
NOTE: Reference material.