42 WILD, OR NATIVE FLOWERS 



remains with the true lover of flowers, even if they be only homely 

 weeds, to examine and appreciate the inimitable beauty and wisdom 

 shown in their several parts, each so wisely fitted to perform its part 

 according to the Divine Maker's Will. 



^VooD Geranium — Geraiihini inaculatnm (L.) 



There are but few flowers of the Cranes-bill family in Canada. 

 The one most worthy of notice is the Wood Geranium. This is a very 

 ornamental plant ; its favourite locality is in open, grassy thickets, among 

 low bushes, especially those tracts of country known as Oak-openings, 

 where it often reaches to the height of from two to three feet, throwing 

 out many branches, adorned with deep lilac flowers ; the half-opened 

 buds are very lovely. The blossom consists of five petals, obtuse, and 

 slightly indented on their upper margins, and is lined and delicately 

 veined with purple. The calyx consists of five pointed sepals : stamens 

 ten ; the anthers are of a reddish brown ; styles five, cohering at the 

 top. When the seed is mature these curl up, bearing the ripe brown 

 seed adhering to the base of each one. The common name, Cranes- 

 bill, has been derived from the long grooved and stork-like beak 

 composed of the styles. The Greek name of the plant means a Crane. 

 The whole plant is more or less beset with silvery hairs. The leaves 

 are divided into about five principal segments ; these again are lobed 

 and cut into sharply pointed, irregularly sized teeth. The larger hairy 

 root leaves are often discoloured with red and purplish blotches, whence 

 the specific name {inaculatian), spotted, has been given to this species. 



The flower stem is much branched, and furnished with leafy bracts ; 

 the principal flowers are on long stalks, usually three springing from a 

 central branch and again subdividing into smaller branchlets, terminating 

 in buds, mostly in threes, on drooping slender pedicels; as the older 

 and larger blossoms fall off a fresh succession appears on the side 

 branches, furnishing rather smaller but equally beautiful flowers. Gray 

 gives the blooming season of the Cranes-bill from April to July, but 

 with us it rarely appears before June, and may be seen all through July 

 and August. Besides being very ornamental, our plant possesses virtues 

 which are well known to the herbalist as powerful astringents, which 

 quality has obtained for it the name of Alum-root among the country 

 people, who use a decoction of the root as a styptic for wounds ; and 

 sweetened, as a gargle for sore-throat and ulcerated mouth ; it is also 

 given to young children to correct a lax state of the system. Thus our 

 plant is remarkable for its usefulness as well as for its beauty. A low 

 growing showy species, with large rose-coloured flowers and much 

 dissected leaves, may be found on some of the rocky islets in Stoney 



