310 



all, the flowers will be weak. It may also be propagated 

 from seed, but does not commonly flower until the third 

 year. A native of Levant. 



P. bracteatum* Bracted Poppy. A native of Siberia ; 

 is another superb perennial, very much like the last. The 

 flowers are of a deeper red, and the only essential differ- 

 ence is in the leafy bracts, by which the flowers are sub- 

 tended. Propagated in the same way ; with us, it has not 

 flowered so freely. There are also a number of other 

 species and varieties of perennial Poppy, as P. nudicaule, 

 from Siberia, with two or three varieties with yellow, and 

 one with scarlet flowers, one to one and one-half foot high. 



PELARGONIUM. GERANIUM:. 



[From the Greek for Stork, in reference to the beak-like seed-pod.] 



Under the article Geranium, the principal distinctions 

 between Geranium proper arid Pelargonium are given. 

 The plants of both genera are popularly called by the 

 same name Geranium. There are many species in culti- 

 vation, but these have become so mixed by hybridizing 

 and crossing, that in many cases their identity is obscured. 

 Pelargonium peltatum, is the trailing Ivy-leaved Gera- 

 nium ; P. zonale, is the parent of all the Horse-shoe Ge- 

 raniums ; P. wiquinans, is probably the original of the 

 scarlet varieties ; P. capitatum, is the popular Rose-Gera- 

 nium. In the present place we treat them only as florists 

 varieties, without reference to a botanical nomenclature. 



Scarlet Geraniums* The Common Scarlet Geranium 

 is familiar to us all, and is deservedly a general favorite. 

 Cowper speaks of it, in describing the inhabitants of the 

 green-house : 



"Geranium boasts 



Her crimson honours." 



