_ 68 AMONG THE WILD FLOWERS. 
made upon the seeds and other distinctive parts 
of the various species of the Geraniums. For 
instance, the 5 carpels which extend into the 
long beak of the ripe seed at length separate 
from the central pillar and spread out, in some 
genera twisting spirally; but if wetted, the 
spires uncurl and become straight, resuming 
the ringlet form when they become dry again. 
This property they retain for years. 
We must now mention that the plants of this 
Order GERANIACE&, together with the Mallows, 
Matvace®, are of Linn. Cl. XVI., Zona- 
delphia, the character of which is that the 
filaments in the flower—of which in Erodium 
and Geranium there are 10, in the Mallow 
tribe many—are united at their base round 
the pistil, thus constituting one brotherhood 
or set, as the name of the Class implies. Con- 
trast with this arrangement that of the flowers 
of Cl. XVII., in which there is one single 
stamen or filament separate from the rest which 
are united together, thus forming two sets, 
whence the name of this Class, Dzadelphia. To 
this same class belong many of the legumin- 
ous plants, Lecuminos#, so called from their 
bearing a legume or long pod; the blooms of 
