4 8 



BRITISH FLOWERING PLANTS 



throws up several flower-stalks to the height of 

 two or three feet. The root-leaves, which stand 

 on long hairy stalks, are round, and brownish red 

 on the margins, which are obtusely and irregularly 

 dentated, and divided by 6 irregular and deeper 

 incisions, and clothed with fine down both above 

 and below. The flower-stalks are round and 

 hairy, and divide into several branches. At each 

 fork stands a pair of opposite, stalked, den- 

 tated and 5-lobate leaves, which become smaller, 

 shorter-stalked, and trilobate as they approach the 

 end of the stalk. The budding flowers hang down, 

 but rise erect when they open. The sepals of the 

 calyx are furnished with a scent-gland at the 

 extremity : the petals are deeply bifid, and are pale 

 purple, or sometimes almost white, each marked 

 with five darker lines. There are 10 stamens, 5 

 •of which are larger than the others, and are 

 developed first. The ovary terminates in a long 

 straight style or beak. 



The best known of the British Wild Geraniums 

 is Herb Robert {Geranium Robertianum), a plant 

 rarely exceeding a foot in height, with reddish 



flowers, and emitting a very strong odour. It is 

 common under almost every hedge. 



The commonest British species of Erodium is 

 the Crane's Bill (E. cicutarium), a hairy viscid plant 

 a foot high, bearing clusters of from 2 to 12 small 

 pink flowers ; it is found in rough fields and by 

 roadsides. 



Comparatively few insects feed upon the Gera- 

 niums, but among them are the caterpillars of two 

 interesting butterflies, both of which, however, will 

 eat other low plants. The black spiny caterpillars 

 of the Greasy Fritillary {Melitcea Artemis) hibernate 

 under a web, and disperse in spring, when they feed 

 singly on Geranium, etc. The butterfly measures 

 an inch and a half across the wings, and is fulvous, 

 with more or less regular transverse black bands. 

 The under-surface is yellow, with a peculiar shiny 

 appearance, as if greasy. The other insect is the 

 short, stout, green, woodlouse-shaped caterpillar 

 of the Brown Argus {Polyommatus Astrarche), a 

 brown butterfly rather more than an inch in 

 expanse, with a row of bright orange spots before 

 the borders of all the wings. 



