THALAMIFLORZ 75 
stem, where, if broken off, the plant will root again 
when struck as a cutting in the earth in the Autumn. 
The Geraniacee are herbaceous plants, in the 
cultivated Geranium or Pelargonium becoming woody 
and reaching a great height, some being shrubs. 
They have an inversely pyramidal habit in most 
cases, that is the Wild Crane’s Bills, owing to the 
clusters of long-stalked leaves which spread them- 
selves out flat with their innumerable divisions. 
The slender flower-stalks project above this bush-like 
grouping of the leaves. 
Pink or red is the predominating colour amongst 
the Geraniums, but the Meadow Crane’s Bill and 
Mountain Crane’s Bill are blue, the former a lovely 
flower, with honey guides. 
The Geraniacez include beside garden flowers a 
few that are used apart from their fragrant perfume 
for astringent or resinous qualities they possess, and 
some have edible roots, whilst others are used in 
medicine. There are 430 species and II genera. 
In Geranium there is usually an ascending branched 
stem, often tinged red, asin Herb Robert. This may 
be clothed with long, spreading hairs, which are 
tipped with little glands, whilst some have remarkably 
shining glossy stems. 
The leaves are on long stalks and divided into three 
or five segments, with stipules at the nodes, which 
are swollen and jointed. The leaflets are linear- 
lanceolate or lobed. 
The flower has five sepals, which are persistent, 
