66 GERANIACE^. (GERANIUM FAMILY.) 



ORDER 29. LIMANTHACE^E. (LIMANTHUS FAMILY.) 



Low annual herbs, with alternate pinnately divided leaves, and sol- 

 itary axillary flowers. Sepals valvate, persistent. Petals convolute, 

 withering-persistent. Stamens twice as many as the sepals. Ovaries 

 distinct, with a single erect ovule, becoming rugose-tuberculate achenia 

 at maturity. Seed without albumen. 



1. FLCERKIA, Willd. 



Sepals 3. Petals 3, obloiig, entire. Stamens 6. Ovaries 3, united at base 

 to the central axis. Style 3-cleft. Achenia globose. Cotyledons thick. 

 Radicle inferior. A small tender decumbent annual, with 3 - 5-lobed leaves, 

 and small white peduucled flowers. 



1. P. proserpinacoid.es, Willd. Marshes and shady banks. Ten- 

 nessee. May - July. 



ORDER 30. GERANIACEJE. (GERANIUM FAMILY.) 



Herbs or shrubby plants, with tumid joints, alternate or opposite 

 palmately lobed stipulate leaves, and hypogynous decandrous flow- 

 ers. Sepals 5, imbricated in the bud, persistent. Petals 5, convo- 

 lute in the bud, deciduous. Stamens monadelphous at the base ; the 

 5 exterior ones shorter and often sterile. Ovaries 5, 2-ovuled, and, 

 with the persistent styles, adnate to an elongated central axis, from 

 which they separate elastically at maturity. Seed solitary, without 

 albumen. Embryo convolute. 



1. GERANIUM, Tourn. CRANESBILL. 



Flowers regular. Stamens perfect, the inner ones with a gland at the base. 

 Styles at maturity separating with the 1-seeded carpels, and coiled upward, 

 the inner face naked. Herbs. Stems forking. Leaves palmately lobed. 

 Peduncles 1 -3-flowered. 



1 . G. maculatum, L. Perennial, erect, hairy ; leaves 5 - 7-parted, the 

 divisions acutely lobed and toothed ; peduncles 1 - 2-flowered, the terminal 

 ones often umbellate ; petals large, entire, 2-3 times longer than the oblong 

 awned sepals. Open woods in the upper districts. April - May. Root 

 tuberous, very astringent. Stem l-2 high. Flowers purple, I' wide. 



2. G. Carolinianum, L. Annual, generally prostrate, pubescent ; 

 leaves 5 -7-parted, the narrow divisions obtusely lobed and toothed; pedun- 

 cles 2-flowered ; petals emarginate, as long as the ovate awned sepals. 

 Waste places, common. March - April. Stems forking, 6' - 1 8' long. 

 Flowers pale purple. 



