BALSAMINACEJS. (BALSAM FAMILY.) 73 



Open woods and fields. April -July. Leaves somewhat blotched with 

 whitish as they grow old. 



* ^ Root biennial or annual. 



2. G. Carolinifuiiim, L. (CAROLINA CRANESBILL.) Stems dif- 

 fusely branched from the base, hairy ; leaves about 5-parted, the divisions cleft 

 and cut into numerous oblong-linear lobes ; sepals awn-pointed, as long as the 

 emarginate (pale rose-color) petals; seeds very minutely reticulated ( under a lens), 



Barren soil and waste places. May -July. Flowers small: the peduncles 

 and pedicels short. A state with more notched petals and more reticulated 

 seeds passes sometimes for G. dissectum, L. 



3. G. rusiLLUM, L. (SMALL FLOWERED CRANESBILL.) Stems procum- 

 bent, slender, minutely pubescent ; leaves rounded kidney-form, 5 - 7-parted, the 

 divisions mostly 3-cleft ; sepals aivnless, about as long as the 2-cleft (bluish-pur- 

 ple) petals ; seeds smooth. Waste places, New York & Mass. (Nat. from Eu.) 



4. G. Robert! flllllBll, L. (HERB ROBERT.) Sparsely hairy, diffuse ; 

 leaves 3-divid<d, the divisions 2-pinnatiJid ; sepals awned, shorter than the (purple) 

 petals ; pods wrinkled ; seeds smooth. Moist woods and shaded ravines. June- 

 Oct. Plant strongly odorous. ( Eu. ) 



2. ERODIUM, L'Her. STORKSBILL. 



The 5 shorter stamens sterile. Styles in fruit twisting spirally, bearded in- 

 side. Otherwise as Geranium. (Name from epcoStoy, a heron.) 



1. E. CICUTARIUM, L'Her. Annual, hairy; stems low, spreading; leaves 

 pinnate; the leaflets sessile, 1 -2-pinnatifid; peduncles several-flowered. Shore 

 of Oneida Lake, New York, Knieskern. (Adv. from Eu.) 



ORDER 29. BAL,SA31INACE^3. (BALSAM FAMILY.) 



Annuals, ivith succulent stems gorged with a bland watery juice, and very 

 irregular hypogynous flowers, the 5 stamens somewhat united, and the pod 

 bursting elastically. Characters as in the principal genus, 



1. IMP ATIENS, L. BALSAM. JEWEL-WEED. 



Calyx and corolla colored alike and confounded, imbricated in the bud. Se- 

 pals apparently only 4 ; the anterior one, which is notched at the apex, probably 

 consisting of two combined ; the posterior one (appearing anterior as the flower 

 hangs on its stalk) largest, and forming a spurred sac. Petals 2, unequal-sided 

 and 2-lobed (each consisting of a pair united). Stamens 5, short : filaments 

 appendaged with a scale on the inner side, the 5 scales connivent and united 

 over the stigma : anthers opening on the inner face. Ovary 5-celled : stigma 

 sessile. Pod with evanescent partitions, and a thick axis bearing the several 

 anatropous seeds, 5-valvcd, the valves coiling elastically and projecting the 

 seeds in bursting. Embryo straight: albumen none. Leaves simple, alter- 

 nate, without stipules. Flowers axillary or panic-led ; often of two sorts, viz, 

 7 



