310 



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

 from seed, bat 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 

 flow^ers are of a deeper red, and the only essential difier- 

 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 w^ith 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 Oeranium proper and 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. inquinans^ is probably the original of the 

 scarlet varieties ; P. capitdtum^ 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." 



