BOTANY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 75 



nails ; in fine, they found in it the soldiers who 

 cast lots, and every thing else fancy could wish, 

 even to the three days in which the Saviour lay 

 in the tomb, which is the time that elapses be- 

 tween its opening and closing in its native coun- 

 try. From all this they considered it created at 

 the time of the Saviour's crucifixion, and thus 

 commemorative of his passion or suffering to 

 those of the New World, who could not other- 

 wise see it. The Storksbill Geranium is also 

 here. 



The Geraniums mostly fill up two orders, 

 Heptandria and Decandria. The Order Poly- 

 andria contains a great number of splendid 

 flowers, comprising a large natural order, much 

 subdivided by modern botanists. In this place 

 are the Hollyhocks, to which all the rest bear 

 considerable resemblance. The genus Malva is 

 here, as also the Althea or Marshmallow, and 

 the Sea Tree Mallow Lavatera, which is much 

 cultivated in our gardens. On the rocky coast 

 of England it is described as unfolding its large 

 purplish red blossoms to the sea breeze from its 

 towering stem of five feet. 



