176 ORDER DECANDRIA. 



has suggested the idea of its being emblematic of the passion or suf- 

 fering of our Saviour ; this is supposed to have given rise to its name. 

 This plant has been placed in the class Gynandria, on the supposi- 

 tion that its stamens stood upon the pistil. An English botanist* 

 thinks it belongs to the class Pentandria, and order Trigynia. Its 

 situation in the class and order under which we have described it, 

 is, however, that generally assigned it by American botanists. 



In this order is the Stork's-bill geranium, {Erodium ;) it is an ex- 

 otic, and belongs to the natural order Geranice. 



Order Heptandria. 



Hhesetenth Order contains the genus Pelargonium, which includes 

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

 tenth order, and placed here, because, though its flowers have 10 fil- 

 aments, only 7 of them bear anthers, or are perfect. The flovrer of 

 this genus is somewhat irregular. Among the varieties of the Pelar 

 gonium now cultivated in the United States, are, 



The Fairy-queen geranium, with striped liowers, large and hand- 

 some leaves. 



The Fienj-Jiowered, with cordate leaves, and black and scarlet 

 fiowers. 



The Balm-scented, with leaves deeply five-lobed, the flowers dark 

 red and black. 



The Grandijlorum has an erect stem, little branched, with smooth 

 leaves, from five to seven-lobed; as its name implies, the flowers are 

 large. 



The Large-bract ed has an erect stem ; leaves cordate, or heart- 

 shaped, flowers large and white, with some streaks of purple. 



Frequent-Jiowering, o\~ fish, a shrubby, brown stem, with flat, cor- 

 date, five-lobed leaves, and red flowers, with spots of black and deep 

 red. 



Peppermint-scented, 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, an erect stem, much branched, leaves 

 small, cordate and three-lobed, flowers smah and pale, tinged with 

 blue. 



Royal purple, stem branched ; flat cordate leaves, five-lobed ; 

 flowers large and of a bright purple. 



Another genus of the Geranium family is called the Hoarea — this 

 contains several varieties, differing chiefly from the Pelargonium in 

 having a tuberous root, with radical leaves; most of the species are 

 yellow. The plants of the natural family Geraniae are mostly natives 

 of the Capo of Good Hope, a region to which we are indebted foi. 

 many of our finest exotics. 



Order Der.andria. 



The tenth Order contains the genus Geranium, which differs from 

 the Pelargonium, in having a regular calyx and corolla, and also in 

 producing 10 perfect stamens, which vary in length, every alternate 

 one being longer ; 5 glands adhere to the base of the five long fila- 

 ments. We have few native species of this plant ; the common 

 Crane's-bill, (Geranium maculalum,) with large, showy, purple flow- 

 ers, is found in meadows during the first summer months. At 



* Smith. 

 Stork's-bill geranium— Pelargonium'?— Order Decandria. 



