GERANIACE^. 115 



feet, regular or almost so, rarely irregular. Sepals 5, persistent, 

 imbricated in prefloration. Petals 5, hypogynous (inserted 

 under the ovary), caducous, equal or unequal, imbricated or 

 twisted before expansion (prefloration). Stamens 10, all fertile 

 (anther-bearing), or 5 without anthers; filaments more or less 

 united at the base; anthers introrse. Ovary free; carpels 5, 

 each bearing two ovules, arranged in a whorl at the base of a 

 prolongation of the axis, with which .they are connected. Styles 

 5, imited with the prolonged axis. Stigmas 5, filiform. Fruit 

 dry, consisting of five carpels, which are one-seeded by abortion, 

 detached elastically from the axis, and coiled up in the dorsal 

 nerve (style?), which remains attached to the top of the axis. 

 Seed erect, without perisperm. Embryo plicate. Radicle ap- 

 proaching the hilum. 



SYNOPSIS OF THE GENEEA. 



Geeanitjm. — Leaves incised, or palmate, or lobed. Stamens 10, all fertile. 

 Ebodittm. — Leaves pinnate. Stamens 10, the alternate ones only fertile. 



Geranivm, Lin. — Annual or perennial herbaceous plants, usu- 

 ally hairy or pubescent, with palmately lobed or palmately parted 

 leaves. Flo.wers on 2-flowered peduncles, rarely solitary, usually 

 reflexed (refracted) after flowering. Sepals and petals 5 respec- 

 tively, usually equal. Stamens 10, usually all fertile (bearing 

 anthers), 5 opposite to the petals, shorter than the alternate ones. 

 Carpels (coques) glabrous internally ; when ripe, detached from 

 the base of the axis and encircled by the styles, which are coiled 

 round the carpels and attached to the summit of the central 

 column. 



Sect. I. Petals not entire at the margin (emargmate), or notched, or cleft, with 

 a more or less bearded claw. 



t Leaves palmate, deeply parted. 



G. pratense, Lin. Meadow Crane's-bill. e.b. 404. l.b.s. 

 231. 



A. 16. C. 70. Lat. 50-58°. Alt. 0-600 yds. Tern. 51-42°. 

 Root thick, oblique, truncate. Stem erect, 1-3 feet high, 

 round, slightly furrowed, hairy, branched and leafy; branches 

 erect, contiguous. Leaves divided almost to the base in 5-7 di- 

 visions ; segments (divisions) cuneate, with linear or lanceolate 

 lobes, and with membranous, acuminate stipules. Flowers large, 

 on two- flowered peduncles, in a corymbose panicle ; pedicels short 



