88 



Geraniacece Geranium. 



1. G. sanguineum.- 



variable, with or without albumen. There are 16 genera and 

 about 750 species, found in nearly all parts of the world, but 

 especially numerous in South Africa. 



1. GERANIUM. 



Herbs, rarely shrubby, stems often tumid at the joints. 

 Leaves opposite or alternate, bistipulate, dentate, palmately or 

 rarely pinnately lobed or dissected. Peduncles axillary, 1- or 

 2-flowered. Flowers regular. Sepals and petals imbricate in 

 bud. Stamens usually 10, of which 5 are sometimes imperfect. 

 Carpels 5, separating from the axis below and curled upwards ; 

 seeds 1 in each carpel. There are about 100 species, very 

 widely distributed. About twelve are natives of Britain. G. 

 Robertianum is perhaps the commonest. It is an erect foetid 

 plant with reddish stems, much divided leaves, and small 

 striped red flowers. The name is derived from yspavos, a crane, 

 from the beak-like termination of the fruit hence the Eng- 

 lish name, Cranesbill. 



-An indigenous perennial species from 1 

 to 2 feet high. Stems geniculate. 

 Leaves pilose, orbicular, 5- to 7-par- 

 tite, lobes again divided into 3 or 5 

 narrow segments. Sepals awned. 

 . Peduncles usually 1-flowered. 

 Flowers about 1-J inch in diameter, 

 reddish purple. A very handsome 

 species. There is also a distinct 

 variety of more prostrate habit with 

 pinkish flowers ; it is the G. Lan- 

 castriense of gardens. 



2. G. platypetalum (fig. 57). A 

 Caucasian species. This is allied to 

 sylvdticum, a handsome native spe- 

 cies having clusters of purplish 

 flowers. It is a very hairy plant, 

 bearing a profusion of violet-blue 

 flowers. This is sometimes grown 

 under the name Iberioum, which is 

 a very similar plant, and of which it- 

 may be a simple variety. 



3. G. striatum. A very com- 

 m3n species in cultivation. It usually grows about a foot 



Fig. 57. Oeranium platypetalum. 

 (i nat. size.) 



