Ozothamnus and Cassinia species with potential for commercialisation

Abstract

Of the Ozothamnus genus, rice flower, (Ozothamnus diosmifolius syn. Helichrysum diosmifolium) is probably the most widely grown species in commercial cultivation in the floriculture industry. It is grown in all states of Australia, with, in 1995, approximately 500,000 flowering stems being exported, primarily to Japan. Other species, such as O. purpurescens and O. obcordatus, appear briefly each year on the Australian domestic cut flower market, and O. cordatus in the export trade, picked from naturally occurring stands. Similarly, some species of Cassinia, such as C. aureonitans and C. laevis are marketed, predominantly from bush picked material. Enormous potential exists within these 2 genera for selection of genotypes suited for cultivation for both the cut flower and foliage markets and for nursery plant production.