96 GERANTUM FAMILY. 



0. Bowieana, liodd. Whole plant finely pubescent ; lea'fstalks and few- 

 Howered scapes O'-IO' high from a small bulb on a spindle-shaped root; 

 broad obcordate leaflets almost 2' long ; petals deep rose-color, 1' long. 

 Cape of Good Hope. 



6. PELARGONIUM, the GERANIUM, so-called, of house and sum. 

 mer-garden culture. (Greek : stork, from the beak of the fruit, which 

 is like that of Geranium. ) 2/ Natives of the Cape of Good Hope ; in 

 cultivation so much modified that it is often difficult to distinguish tlie 

 original species. A synopsis of the chief groups is given. 



I. Ivy Gkkaniums. Stems trailing ; leaves peltate and fleshy, the b lobes 

 entire, generally smooth, with or without a darker zone. Now crossed 

 with the next for the sake of the larger flowers. 



P. peltdtum, Ait. Ivy-leaved P. Generally smooth, the leaf fixed 

 towards the middle, with or without a darkish zone ; flowers pink or 

 varying to white. 



II. Scarlet, Horseshoe, Fish, Bedding or Zonal Geraniums. Stems 

 erect, obscurely lobed with large scallops or irregularly ciit ; leaves round 

 andcrenate, and with a deep narrow sinus, often with a horseshoe-shaped 

 dark zone, many forms (Tricolors) loith bronzy-golden or silver-edged 

 or variegated leaves ; petals all of one color or variegated (scarlet, pink, 

 or varying to white) j stems erect, shrubby, and succulent. 



P. zona/e, Willd. Horseshoe P. So called from the dark horseshoe 

 mark or zone on the leaves, which, however, is not always present ; 

 petals smoothish, narrowish. 



P. inquinans, Ait. Staining or Scarlet P. In the unmixed state is 

 soft-downy and clammy, the leaves without the zone ; petals broadly 

 obovate, originally intense scarlet. 



III. Lady Washington Geraniums ; Pelargoniums ; Decorative, 

 Show or Fancy P. of gardeners. Leaves usually moderately lobed, 

 but sometimes rather deeply cut, mostly sharply toothed : flowers very 

 large (2' or more), usually decidedly irregular, the 2 tipper petals larger 

 and streaked or spotted ; stem decidedly shrithhy. 



* Leaves more or less hairy or pubescent. 



P. cucullatum, Ait. Cowled P. Soft-hairy, the rounded kidney- 

 shaped leaves cupped, soft-downy. 



P. cordatum. Ait. Heakt-leaved P. Like the last or less hairy, with 

 flat, ovate-heart-shaped leaves. 



P. anguldsum. Ait. Mahle-leaved P. Harsher-hairy; tlie leaves 

 rigid, inclined to be lobed, truncate or even wedge-shaped at the base 

 (scarcely ever heart-shaped), sharply toothed. 



* * Leaves smooth and pale or glaucous, rounded, palmately 5-7-clefl. 



P. grandiflbrum, Willd. Great-flowered P. Shrubby ; peduncles 

 bearing about 3 large flowers, with white petals 1|' long, the two upper 

 larger and elegantly veined or variegated with pink or rose-color. 



IV^. Rose Geraniums. Leaves hairy, roundish, often rough, lobed or 

 deeply pinnatifid {rarely only crenate), or in the last one palmately 3- 

 parted, balsamic or strong-scented ; plants cult, chiefly for the fragrant 

 folinge ; the small rather sparse flowers rose-colored or purple, petals 

 often darker-veined. 



* Velvety or soft-hairy ; leaves moderately or not at all lobed. 



P. capitatum. Ait. Rose-scented P. Softly hairy, with the rose- 

 scented leaves moderately lobed, the lobes short and broad ; peduncle 



