94 GERANIUM FAMILY. 



hig a large sac contracted at the bottom into a spur or little tail ; opposite the sac 

 is a notched petal, and within are 2 small, unequally 2-lobed petals, one each side of 

 the sac ; these each represent 2 united, petals. Stamens 5, short, conniving or lightly 

 cohering around and covering the 5-celled ovary, which in fruit becomes a several- 

 seeded pod ; this bursts elastically, flying in pieces at the touch, scattering the seeds, 

 separating into 5 twisting valves and a thickish axis. Style none. Seeds rather large. 

 Erect, branching, succulent-stemmed herbs, with simple leaves and no stipules. 



1. GERANIUM, CRANESBILL. (Greek : crane, alluding probably 

 to the long beak in fruit.) The so-called Geraniums of cultivation 

 belong to Pelargonium. Flowers spring and summer. 



* Flowers large (1 ; or more across) and showy ; perennial. 

 <- Peduncles 2-Jlowered and more or less clustered at the top of the stem. 



G. maculatum, Linn. WILD CRANESBILL. Stem erect from a stout 

 rootstock, hairy, branching, and terminating in long peduncles bearing 

 a pair of flowers ; leaves palmately parted into 5-7 wedge-shaped divisions 

 cut and cleft at the end, sometimes whitish-blotched; petals wedge- 

 obovate, light purple, |' long, bearded on the short claw; calyx sparsely 

 hairy. Common in woodlands and open grounds. 



G. Ibericum, Cav. IBERIAN or SPANISH C. Leaves firm and lighter 

 below, roundish and cut into 5-7-toothed or lobed divisions ; flowers blue 

 or violet, with notched or trifid petals, and villous calyx. Cult, from 



Spam> -.- -^ Peduncles l-flowered, axillary. 



G. sangufneum, Linn. BLOOD C. Stems diffuse (l-2 high) with 

 many opposite rounded leaves which are divided into 5-7 parts, these 

 again 3-lobed into linear divisions ; flowers red, on long solitary bracted 

 peduncles, pretty. Cult, from Eu. 



* * Flowers small, pink ; annual or biennial. (Besides the two below, 

 which are native, several European species are sparingly introduced as 

 weeds. ) 



G. Robertianum, Linn. HERB ROBERT. Diffusely spreading, very 

 strong-scented, loosely hairy ; leaves finely cut, being divided into 3 

 twice-pinnatifid divisions ; flowers small ; petals pink or red purple. 

 Common N. in shady rocky places. 



G. Carolinianum, Linn. Stems erect or soon diffusely branched from 

 the base, 6'-18' high ; leaves palmately parted into 5 much cleft and cut 

 divisions ; peduncles and pedicels short ; flowers barely half as large as 

 in the foregoing, the pale, rose-colored petals notched at the end. 

 Common in open and mostly barren soil. 



2. ERODIUM, STORKSBILL. (Greek: a heron.) 



. cicutarium, L'Her. COMMON S. Low, hairy, and rather viscid; 

 the leaves mostly from the root, pinnate ; the leaflets finely once or twice 

 pinnatifid ; peduncle bearing an umbel of several small pinkish flowers in 

 summer. (I) Nat. from Eu., N. Y., Penn., etc., but not common. 



3. LIMNANTHES. (Greek: marsh flower; but in fact the plant 

 flourishes in merely moist soil.) 



L. Dougldsii, R. Br. Low and spreading, mostly smooth, and slightly 

 succulent ; leaves divided into 5-7 oblong or lanceolate and often 3-5- 

 cleft leaflets ; flowers (in summer) solitary on slender axillary peduncles ; 

 petals white with a yellow base, wedge-oblong, notched at the end, twice 

 the length of the calyx, about %' long. Cult, from California. 



