112 SOUTH AFRICAN FLOWERING PLANTS. 



also only five stamens bearing anthers ; on the other 

 five filaments there are none, hence these are called 

 staminodes} There are five Cape species, of which two 

 are endemic and three introduced from Europe. 



The species of these two genera, especially that 

 described of Geranium, are examples of many South 

 African plants provided with a clothing of hair, as an 

 " adaptation " to drought. It not only checks the loss 

 of water by transpiration, but can aljsorb dew in the 

 rainless time. 



Pelargo'nium (" Heron's Bill "). — This genus is 

 almost entirely South African, having a great variety 

 of habit of growth, some being small bulbous plants, 

 others large shrubs, etc. There are some 170 species 

 in all. They have five sepals ; just within the back, 

 or posterior, sepal is a honey-tube, or nectary,^ running 

 down the pedicel. The number of petals vary from 

 two to five, the posterior pair being the larger ones, 

 the single anterior petal is suppressed when there are 

 four only (Fig. 42). 



There are ten stamens, but as a rule seven only 

 bear anthers (III.). They are often bent downwards in 

 front, together with the style, and are then called 

 dedinatc (I.). The object is to provide a landing-place 

 for the insect, which then passes its proboscis down the 



* The fruit being like that of the Heron's Bill {Pelargo'nium), the 

 same description will apply. 



- This is the name given to altered sepals, petals, etc., which 

 secrete honey. The honey-gland, or disc, is on the receptacle. 



