714 



GERANIACE^E. I. RIIYNCHOTHECA. II. MONSONIA. 



the roots of which boiled in milk are used for the cholera in 

 children. Barton is of opinion that it would be a good sub- 

 stitute for gum kino in nephrites and obstinate diarrhoeas. 

 The order is easily distinguished from the neighbouring orders in 

 the carpels separating from the axis, from the elastic nature of the 

 styles, but which closely adhere to it near the apex, see f. 1 19. e. 



Synopsis of the genera. 



1 RHYNCHOTHE'CA. Sepals 5, equal. Petals wanting. Sta- 

 mens 10 ; filaments free. 



2 MONSONIA. Sepals 5, equal. Petals 5, equal. Stamens 15, 

 disposed in 5 3-anthered bundles. 



3 SARCOCAU'LON. Sepals 5, equal. Petals 5, equal. Stamens 

 15, monadelphous at the base. 



4 GERA'NIUM. Sepals 5, equal. Petals 5, equal. Stamens 

 10, monadelphous at the base, rarely all fertile, but usually with 

 the alternate ones fertile, with a gland at the base of each of the 

 fertile ones. 



5 ERO'DIUM. Sepals 5, equal. Petals^, regular, or irregular. 

 Stamens 10, monadelphous at the base, 5 alternate ones sterile, 

 with a gland at the base of each of the sterile ones. 



6 PELARGONIUM. Calyx 5-parted, upper segment drawn out 

 into a tube or spur, which is adnate to the peduncle. Petals 

 5, rarely 4, irregular. Stamens 10, unequal, monadelphous, 4-7 

 of which are fertile, the rest sterile. 



7 GRIE'LUM. Calyx 5-cleft, without a nectariferous tube. 

 Petals 5, equal. Stamens 10, all fertile, connate at the base, 

 permanent. Carpels 5, closely connected, 1 -seeded. 



I. RHYNCHOTHE'CA (from puv X o e , rhynchos, a beak, and 

 dr/Kri, theke, a box ; form of capsule). Ruiz et Pav. fl. per. 

 prod. p. 142. t. 15. H. B. etKunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 232. 

 D. C. prod. 1. p. 637. 



LIN. SYST. . Decandria, Monogynia. Calyx of 5 equal sepals. 

 Petals wanting. Stamens 10, with free filaments. Style short, 

 adpressed. Stigmas 5, long, thick. Carpels 5, ending each in 

 a tail, opening at the base. Ovulse 2 in each carpel, pendulous, 

 fixed to the axis. Receptacle columnar, pentagonal. Seeds 

 rather keeled. Embryo straight, inverted, placed in a fleshy 

 albumen. Shrubs] with spiny branchlets. Branches opposite, 

 tetragonal. Flowers stalked in fascicles at the tops of the 

 branches. This genus differs from Geranium in being without 

 petals, and in the stamens being free, as well as in the seeds 

 being albuminous. 



1 R. INTEGRIEOLIA (H. B. et Kunth, 1. c. t. 464.) leaves 

 oblong, entire ; sepals somewhat mucronate. T? . G. Native 

 of South America, in the temperate parts of Quito, near the 

 town of Alausi. 



Entire-leaved Rhynchotheca. Shrub 6 feet. 



2 R. DIVERSIFOLIA (H. B. et Kunth, 1. c. t. 465.) leaves 

 ovate-oblong, entire, or trifid; sepals mucronately awned. 

 Tj . G. Native of South America, at Pillao and Pamallacta. 

 R. spinosa, Ruiz et Pav. fl. per. syst. p. 142. This shrub is 

 used to make hedges. 



Variable-leaved Rhynchotheca. Shrub 8 feet. 



Cult. Rhynchotheca is a genus of remarkable shrubs, none 

 of which has as yet been introduced in a living state into Bri- 

 tain. But should they ever be introduced into our gardens, we 

 would recommend their being grown in a mixture of turfy loam, 

 vegetable mould, and sand ; and young cuttings will no doubt 

 root in sand under a hand-glass, in a moderate heat. 



II. MONSO'NIA (in honour of Lady Ann Monson, who 

 brought many curious plants from India, and who assisted Mr. 

 Lee in his Introduction to Botany). Lin. fil. suppl. p. 342. 

 D. C. prod. 1. p. 638. 



LIN. SYST. Polyadelphia, Monogynia. Calyx of 5 equal 

 sepals, with an awned mucrone at the apex of each. Petals 5, 

 equal, twice the size of the calyx. Stamens 15, disposed in 5 

 bundles, containing 3 anthers each. Perennial or biennial plants, 

 with toothed, lobed, or decompound leaves, and large, shewy 

 flowers. Fruit as in Erddium and Geranium. 



SECT. I. OLOPE'TALUM (from oXoc, olos, entire, and 

 petalon, a petal ; petals entire). D. C. prod. 1. p. 638. Stems 

 herbaceous. Leaves suboval, toothed. Stipulas and bracteas 

 awl-shaped, rather firm. Peduncles 1-2-flowered, bearing 2 

 or 4 bracteas in their middle. Petals obovate, entire. 



1 M. OVA V TA (Cav. diss. 4. p. 193. t. 113. f. 1.) leaves ovate- 

 oblong, rather cordate, crenated, wavy ; stipulas stiff; peduncles 

 axillary, 1 -flowered, each bearing 2 bracteas. $ . G. Native 

 of the Cape of Good Hope. Geranium emarginatum, Lin. fil. 

 suppl. 306. M. emarginata, Lher. ger. t. 41. Stem filiform. 

 Flowers large, with whitish-yellow petals, having 3 streaks each. 



Ovate-leaved Monsonia. Fl. Aug. Clt. 1774. PI. A foot. 



2 M. BIFLORA (D. C. prod. 1. p. 638.) leaves elliptical- 

 oblong, blunt, toothed, rather wedge-shaped at the base ; sti- 

 pulas spiny ; peduncles 2-flowered, each bearing 4 bracteas. 

 I/ . G. Native of the Cape of Good Hope. Burch, cat. afr. 

 austr. no. 2611. Flowers the 'size and colour of those of the 

 preceding. 



Two-flowered Monsonia. Fl. Aug. ? PI. 1 foot. 



SECT. II. ODONTOPE'TALUM (from odovs oSovros, odous odon- 

 tos, a tooth, and TrtraXov, petalon, a petal ; petals toothed). 

 D. C. prod. 1. p. 638. Stems herbaceous. Leaves lobed or 

 multifid. Peduncles long, 1 -flowered, furnished with 6 or 8 

 whorled bracteas in the middle. Petals oblong, coarsely toothed 

 at the apex. 



3 M. LOBA'TA (Mont. act. goth. 2. p. 1. t. 1. ex Willd. spec. 

 3. p. 718.) leaves cordate, 5-7-lobed ; lobes blunt, serrated, 

 pilose beneath as well as the petioles and calyxes. If. . G. 

 Native of the Cape of Good Hope. Curt. bot. mag. t. 385. 

 Sweet, ger. 273. Lois* herb. amat. t. 5. M. filia, Lin. fil. 

 suppl. 341. Cav. diss. 3. p. 180. t. 74. f. 2. Geranium ane- 

 monoldes, Thunb. prod. 112. The flowers of this plant are 

 said by Mr. Curtis to be more beautiful in the bud than when 

 expanded ; they are variegated with purple, red, white, and 

 greenish on the outside, but pale-blush, with a darker base 

 inside. Fruit with a very long beak. Leaves more or less hairy. 



Zoied-leaved Monsonia. Fl. April, May. Clt. 1774. PI. 1 ft. 



4 M. PILOSA (Willd. enum. 717.) leaves palmately 5-parted, 

 with 3-parted, pinnatifid segments, pilose beneath as well as 

 the petioles and calyxes. 3/ . G. Native of the Cape of Good 

 Hope. M. filia, Pers. ench. no. 3. Geranium Monsonia. 

 Thunb. prod. 112. Sweet, ger. 199. Petals greenish-red 

 on the outside, white within, and red at the base. This is very 

 like the following species. 



Var. j3, suffruticosa (Coll. hort. rip. t. 2.) leaves with 5 pin- 

 natifid segments ; flowers large, yellowish on the outside, white 

 within, and striped with red, with a darker base ; ovary and 

 anthers dark. 



Pilose Monsonia. Fl. July, Aug. ' Clt. 1778. PI. 1 foot. 



5 M. SPECIOSA (Lin. fil. suppl. 342.) leaves palmately 5- 

 parted, with the segments finely bipinnatifid, and are hairy as 

 well as the petioles and calyxes. If. . G. Native of the Cape 

 of Good Hope. Curt. bot. mag. t. 73. Cav. diss. 3. t. 74. 



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