ORDERS HEPTANDRIA AND DECANDRIA. 143 



OF THE ORDER HEPTANDRIA. 



In this order comes the genus Pelargonium of the 

 Cape of Good Hope, or green-house Geranium. 

 The flowers are irregular in their proportions ; there 

 are 1 filaments, but only 7 which bear anthers ; the 

 upper, larger segment of the calyx communicates 

 with a grooved nectary, which often proceeds a con- 

 siderable distance down the peduncle, and at its ter- 

 mination has the appearance of an articulation. The 

 fruit, as in the following genus, and most others of 

 the natural family Geraniace;e, consists of 5 peri- 

 carps with long awns, united to lengthened recepta- 

 cles 5 when mature, they separate elastically from 

 the summit to the base, with the awns then spirally 

 twisted, and internally smooth. Of this splendid, 

 and much admired genus, there are now more than 

 350 species, besides many varieties, the effect of ac- 

 cident and cultivation Most of them are fragrant, 

 and form straggling shrubs ; a few die to the ground, 

 and come up and flower periodically ; but most of 

 them are in perpetual leaf. 



DECANDRIA. 



Geranium, properly so called, only differs from 

 Pelargonium in the equality of its calyx and corolla ; 

 and in producing 10 perfect stamens, of which the 

 5 alternate ones are longer, and have nectariferous 

 glands at their base. Of this genus, our most com- 

 mon vernal, large flowering species, in woods, is the 

 pale purple flowered maculatum, which bears round- 

 ish, 3 to 5-parted gashed leaves, with the upper ones 

 opposite and sessile ; the petals are entire ; the stem 

 angular and forked ; the root tuberous and peren- 

 nial. 



