314 THE KINDS OF PLANTS 



2. PELARGONIUM. GERANIUM of gardens. 



Somewhat fleshy, strong-scented plants, differing from Geranium in 

 having a somewhat 2-lipped corolla, and stamens with anthers less than 10. 



P. hortorum. Garden geranium. Fish geranium. Fig. 183. Stem 

 somewhat succulent and hairy: leaves orbicular or reniform, crenate-lobed, 

 often with bands of different colors: flowers in umbel-like clusters, deflexed 

 in bud, of many colors, often double. South Africa, but of hybrid origin. 



3. 6XALIS. OXALIS. .WOOD-SORREL. 



Low often tuberous herbs with small flowers which have no glands on 

 the torus-disk: leaves digitate, of 3 or more leaflets, usually mostly radical: 

 flowers (opening in sun) with 5 sepals and petals and 10 somewhat mona- 

 delphous stamens, the alternate ones shorter : pod 5-loculed, often opening 

 elastically. The following have 3 obcordate leaflets, closing at night. 



0. stricta, Sav. Common yellow oxalis. Fig. 273. Stem leafy and 

 branching: peduncles bearing 2-6 small yellow flowers. Common in fields. 



0. Acetosella, Linn. Wood-sorrel. Scape 2-5 in. high, from a creeping 

 root-stock: flowers white and pink -veined. Deep woods. 



Oi violacea, Linn. Scape 5-10 in. high with an umbel of several bright 

 violet flowers, from a scaly bulb. Woods south, and a common window- 

 garden plant. 



4. TROP.ffiOLUM. NASTURTIUM of gardens. 



Tender, mostly climbing herbs (by means of leafstalks), with one of the 

 5 petals extended into a long, nectar-bearing yellow spur: petals usually 5, 

 with narrow claws, often bearded: stamens 8, of different shapes: carpels 

 3, indehiscent in fruit. The following (from Peru) have peltate orbicular 

 leaves (Fig. 126). 



T. ma jus, Linn. Climbing nasturtium. Tall-climbing: flowers yellow, 

 red, cream-white, and other colors: petals not pointed. 



T. minus, Linn. Dwarf nasturtium. Fig. 195. Not climbing : petals 

 with a sharp point. 



5. IMPATIENS. TOUCH-ME-NOT. JEWEL-WEED 



Soft or succulent tender herbs with simple alternate or opposite leaves 

 and very irregular flowers : sepals 3 to 5, usually 4, one of them produced 

 into a large curving spur : petals apparently 2, but each 

 consisting of a united pair : stamens 5 : fruit 5-valved, 

 elastically discharging the seeds (whence the names "1m- 

 patiens " and "touch-me-not ") . 



I. Balsamina, Linn. Garden balsam. Erect and stout, 

 1-2 K ft.: leaves lanceolate, toothed: flowers in the axils, 

 of many colors, often full double. 



Im atiens biflora L bifldra Walt ' ( J> fulva > Nutt.).. Orange jewel-weed. 



Fig. 462. Tall branching plant (2-4 ft.) with alternate oval 

 or long-oval blunt-toothed long-stalked leaves: flowers % in. long, horizon- 

 tal and hanging, orange-yellow with a red-spotted lower lip, the upper lip 

 less spotted and of one piece, the two green sepals at the apex of the pedicel 



