WASTES AND WAYSIDES IN SUMMER 



150 



flowers have been described ; and the latter forming the gemis 

 Erodiiim. These two groups are sometimes confused by young 

 botanists, but may be easily distinguished by the aid of the following 

 notes : — The flowers of the Crane's-bills are symmetrical, while the 

 petals of the Stork's-bills are rather unequal in size and sometimes 

 deficient. In the former tliere are ten stamens, five of which are 

 alternately larger, as previously mentioned ; while the latter have 

 five perfect stamens, 

 glandular at their 

 bases, and five alter- 

 nating, abortive ones. 

 Further, in the 

 genus Geranium the 

 persistent styles are 

 straight, while in the 

 Stork's-bills they are 

 twisted spirally. 



The manner in 

 which the seeds of 

 Stork's-bills are dis- 

 persed is particularly 

 interesting : — ^^llen 

 the fruit is ripe the 

 carpels separate, and 

 the twisted styles are 

 gradually released 

 from one another, 

 from below upwards, 

 till the fruit is finally 

 set free and blown 

 away by the wind. 



The carpels thus detached are each furnished with a long style, 

 the lower portion of which is coiled like a corkscrew, while the 

 upper part is straighter but bent to one side. Now, these styles 

 are hygroscopic — that is, they are influenced by changes in the 

 condition of the atmosphere as regards moisture. This may easily 

 be shown by placing the fruit in an upright position on a piece 

 of white card, and fixing it so with a httle spot of glue or gum, 

 so that the bent upper end of the style is free and serves as a 

 little pointer. If now the open mouth be placed close over the 

 carpel, and moist air be breathed upon it, the corkscrew will 



The Bloody Craxe's-bill. 



