170 ORDER POLYAJS^DRIA. 



T^igjnia. But its place in this part of the Linnsean system 

 seems clearly indicated ; it is the type of a natural order, Pas- 

 sifloracece^ which contains few genera. In this artificial order 

 is the Stork'S-bill geranium {Erodmm) ; it is an exotic, and be- 

 longs to the natural order GeraniacecB. 



246. Order Hcpfandria, seven stamens, contains the genus Pelargoniwn which 

 includes the greater number of green-house Geraniums ; it is taken from the tenth 

 order and placed here, because, though its flowers have ten filaments, only seven 

 of them bear anthers, or are perfect. The flower is somewhat irregular. Among 

 the varieties of the Pclai-gonium now cultivated in the United States are the 

 following : 



Fairij-quccii geranium, Bix\]icOi flowers, large and handsome leaves: Fiery-fiow- 

 ered, cordate leaves, black and scarlet flowers : Bahn-scentcd, leaves deeply five- 

 lobed ; flowers dark red, and black : Grandijlorum, erect stem, little branched ; 

 smooth leaves, from five to seven-lobed ; flowers large : Large-bractcd, erect stem ; 

 leaves cordate ; flowers large, white, with some streaks of purple : Frequent-flower- 

 ing, ox fish, a shrubby, brown stem, with flat, cordate, five-lobed leaves ; red flow- 

 ers, with spots of black and deep red: Pepjyermhit-scentcd, or Velvet-leaved, a 

 shrubby stem, much branched ; leaves cordate, five-lobed, soft to the touch like 

 velvet ; flowers small, white, and purple : Nutmeg-scented, or fragrant, erect stem, 

 much branched ; leaves small, cordate, and three-lobed ; flowers small and pale, 

 tinged with blue : Royal 'purple, stem branched ; flat cordate leaves, five-lobed ; 

 flowers large, and of a bright purple. The plants of the natural family GeraniaceaB 

 are mostly natives of the Cape of Good Hope, a region to which we are indebted 

 for many of our finest exotics. 



247. Order Decandria^ ten stamens^ contains the genus Gera- 

 ni'um^ which differs from the Pelargonium in having a regular 

 calyx and corolla, and also in producing ten perfect stamens, 

 which vary in length, every alternate one being lono;er ; five 

 glands adhere to the base of the five long filaments. We have 

 few native sj^ecies of this plant ; the common Crane's-bill (Ge- 

 KA^^njM Qnacidatum)^ with large, showy, purple flowers, is found 

 in meadows during the first summer months. The three gen- 

 era, Erodium, Pelargonium, and Geranium, were formerly all 

 united ; but the difference in the number of stamens separates 

 them, not only in respect to genera, but also in the artificial 

 orders. 



248. Order Polyandria^ many stamens. — ^This order is made 

 up of a group of genera which compose the natural order Co- 

 LUMNiFERiE of Liuuseus ; the stamens are united in the form of a 

 column (Fig. 147) ; by Jussieu they were collected into an 

 order under the name of Malvacem (or the mallow family), 

 so called from the genus Malva. The peculiar characteristics 

 of the group arc, calyx often douhle ; five regular j^etals ; stOr 

 mens indefinite^ united hy their filaments into a. tnhe which 

 rises like a column in the middle of the flower ; in the center 

 of this tube are the styles forming an inner bundle. The 

 carpels contain one seed each and are equal in number to the 



Stork's-bill geranium.— 246. Pelargonium —247. Order Decandria.- 248. Order Polyandria— Mai 

 vacca- — Citmelia. • 



