1 26 PROGRESS OF THE PELARGONIUM. , 



attention of the deserving hybridizers, particularly in the case of the 

 Pelargonium, Cineraria, Fuchsia, Verbena, and many other examples. 

 The object of this paper is not, however, to give a treatise on the 

 hybridizing cf flowers, but to view the gradual ascent, as it were, from 

 insignificance to splendour, of the justly popular flower the Pelar- 

 gonium, or as it is still vulgarly called, but erroneously, the Geranium. 

 We think that already having such gems or prizes, as the editor of the 

 Florist terms them, as Ajax, Magnificent, Incomparable, &c, we may 

 stand for a while " resting on the fruit of our labours," not thinking 

 for a moment that perfection is yet attained, but glancing back to 

 review the triumphant success already achieved by the patient exertions 

 of twenty seasons, although accomplished step by step and year by 

 year, we may gain fresh courage to be enabled to persevere in our 

 onward course to reach the summit of perfection ; and those of us who 

 are able to remember the time when Smut, Bancho, Habranthum, and 

 other {?ioiv deemed} unsightly varieties were figured in the pages of 

 this journal (see page 121 in the volume for 1835) will think of what 

 has been done since then, and still go on striving, till perhaps the next 

 ten years may see as much improvement as the last. 



As the varied use of the terms Pelargonium and Geranium un- 

 fortunately still continues to puzzle the amateur florist who is not 

 accjuainted with botany, perhaps the following explanation will be of 

 service. Up to the year 1790 what are now denominated Gekanium — 

 Crane's-bill, from geranus, a crane, in allusion to the crane-like 

 beak which terminates the carpel of seeds, Pelargonium — Stork's- 

 bill, and Erodium — Heron's-bill, from similar allusion, were com- 

 prised in but one genus, viz., Geranium ; such then was the original 

 family name. To the species of this family natives of our own 

 country there had been, up to 1790, a considerable number introduced 

 from other countries, and the botanists of that day deemed it essential 

 to divide the genus, and there being peculiar distinctive properties by 

 which certain divisions could be properly effected, that was determined 

 upon. 



The Pelargonium, or Stork's-bill, is grouped in the natural 

 arrangement under the order Geraniacte, and by Linnaeus (see Loudon) 

 it ranks among the class Monadelphia heptandria, which implies that 

 the flowers have seven stamens and one pistil united into one body. 

 The Geranium, or Crane's-bill, has ten stamens, and Loudon forms 

 them into Monadelphia decandria. Loudon's catalogue enumerates no 

 less than 190 species of Pelargoniums, all but 30 of which were intro- 

 duced from the Cape of Good Hope; his catalogue also contains the 

 names of about 180 hybrid or garden varieties. The Geranium only 

 numbers 48 species, 15 of which are natives of Great Britain, and the 

 majority of them rank as little more than weeds, few being ever culti- 

 vated, so that it is rather strange that the present small minority should 

 give the name (quite erroneously) to a large and much more important 

 majority^ the excuse for which use now can only be " that sixty years 

 ago the undivided family of very dissimilar species were known but 

 under the name of Geraniums ;" but it is the way generally, once 

 spread an error abroad, it is a very difficult matter to fully eradicate it. 



