GERANIUM TRIBE 159 



it might form a substitute for kino. Our common Herb Robert is believed 

 to be obnoxious to many insects, and is by cottagers often placed near beds 

 to repel them ; and the strong odour is probably disagreeable to these in- 

 truders. In North Wales, it is believed to be an efficacious remedy for gout. 

 Some of the exotic Geraniacece, as Sarcocaulon Vheretihe, have stems which 

 burn like torches, emitting during combustion a most fragrant odour. The 

 French call our plant Le Geranion, and the Italians term it Geranio. It is the 

 Storchschnahel of the Germans, and the Oijevaarsbek of the Dutch. 



9. Dove's-foot Crane's-bill {G. mdlle). — Leaves roundish, lobed, cut, 

 and downy ; petals notched ; capsules wrinkled, but not hairy ; seeds smooth. 

 Plant annual. This is almost as frequent a species as the Herb Robert, 

 though growing more in the grass of the pasture lands than the former plant. 

 It occurs also on banks and wayside places, and is often covered with the 

 dust of the road ; its downy leaves, soft as velvet, and of a greyish-green 

 hue, on spreading stems, forming large circular clumps. Being one of the 

 earliest of spring flowers, its little reddish-purple cups may often be found 

 among its foliage in March, and they continue to expand till October, though 

 their colour is not so bright at this season as in the earlier part of the year. 

 The French call this flower Fied cle Pigeon. 



10. Round-leaved Crane's-bill {G. rotundifdlium). — Leaves roundish 

 or kidney-shaped, lobed, and cut ; petals entire ; capsules hairy, not wrinkled ; 

 seeds dotted. Plant annual. This much resembles the species last described, 

 and is probably sometimes mistaken for it ; it is not, however, like that, 

 a common plant, but occurs in some few pastures and waste places, beginning 

 to blossom at a later season, its small purple flowers seldom peeping up from 

 the leaves before the month of June. It may be distinguished from the 

 Dove's-foot by its petals without notches, and by its dotted seeds, which are 

 very pretty when seen under a microscope. 



IL Small - flowered Crane's-bill {G. piisillum). — Leaves roundish, 

 lobed, and cut ; petals notched ; stamens five ; capsules keeled, downy, not 

 Ma-inkled ; seeds smooth. Plant annual. This Crane's-bill, which bears very 

 small rose or pui-ple flowers throughout the summer, is also much like the 

 Dove's-foot, and resembling it in its downy foliage and spreading stems, it is, ■ 

 to the unpractised botanist, difficult of distinction. The most obvious feature 

 of difference is, that the capsules of this species are unwrinkled, though 

 downy, whereas those of the former species are transversely wrinkled. The 

 young botanist is often perplexed by the general similarity of several of the 

 Crane's-bills, which are, however, essentially distinct ; and a remark made 

 upon this tribe by Mr. Johns, in his "Flowers of the Field," is worthy of 

 attention : — "Particular care," observes the author, "should be taken, when 

 comparing specimens with their descriptions, to examine the root-leaves ; for 

 the stem-leaves vary on the same plants so as to defy description." 



12. Jagged-leaved Crane's-bill {G. dissedum). — Stems spreading, 

 hairy ; leaves roundish, hairy, variously divided into numerous jagged 

 narrow segments ; sepals with long awns ; petals notched ; capsules hairy, 

 and slightly wrinkled ; seeds dotted. Plant annual. The name of this 

 Crane's-bill well describes one of its characters, for its leaves are very deeply 

 cut or jagged. They are hairy, and not soft and downy, like some of those 



