EVERLASTING or IMMORTELLE (Helichrysum orientale), a plant belonging to the division Tubuliflorae of the family Compositae. It is a native of north Africa, Crete and the parts of Asia bordering on the Mediterranean ; and it is cultivated in many parts of Europe. In common with several other plants of the same group, known as "everlastings," the immortelle plant possesses a large involucre of dry scale-like or scarious bracts, which preserve their appearance when dried, provided the plant be gathered in proper condition. The chief supplies of Helichrysum orientale come from lower Provence, where it is cultivated in large quantities on the ground sloping to the Mediterranean, in posi tions well exposed to the sun. The plant begins to flower in June. It requires a light sandy or stony soil, and is readily injured by rain or heavy dews. It can be propagated by offsets from the older stems. The flowering stems are gathered in June, all the fully-expanded and immature flowers being rejected. The plant is tufted in its growth, each plant producing 6o or 7o stems, while each stem produces an average of 20 flowers. The colour of the bracts is deep yellow. The natural flowers are used for garlands for the dead, or plants dyed black are mixed with the yellow ones. The plant is also dyed green or orange-red. Other species of Helichrysum and species of allied genera with scarious heads of flowers are also known as "everlastings." One of the best known is the Australian species H. bracteatum, with several varieties, including double forms of different colours. H. vestitum (Cape of Good Hope) has white satiny heads. Others are species of Helip terum (West Australia and South Africa), Ammobium (Aus tralia) Achyrachaena (United States), Antennaria (extra-tropical except Africa), Gnaphalium (cosmopolitan) and Xeranthemum (south Europe). In North America the pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) is very widely distributed, occurring in dry soils from Newfoundland to Alaska and south to North Caro lina and California. Several members of the family Amarantaceae have also "everlasting" flowers; such are Gomphrena globosa, with rounded or oval heads of white, orange, rose or violet, scarious bracts, and Celosia pyramidalis, with its elegant, loose, pyramidal inflorescences.