GeraniaceczGeraniiim. 89 



high in compact tufts. Leaves 3- to 5-lobed ; lobes toothed. 

 Peduncles 2- or 3-flowered. Flowers white, striped with rose. 

 A free-blooming species throughout the Summer. South of 

 Europe. 



4. G. phceum. About 18 inches high and similar to G. pra- 

 tense, with fewer smaller dusky dark purple flowers. Leaves 

 on long petioles, orbicular or reniform, 5- to 7-lobed, lobes cut 

 and serrate. Peduncles deflexed, 2-flowered. Central Europe ; 

 naturalised in some parts of England. 



There are several other species in cultivation, including G. 

 Endressii, with large rose-coloured flowers ; G. pratense, a tall 

 native species with deep blue flowers ; and G. tuberosum, rose- 

 coloured flowers. 



2. PELARGONIUM. 



Herbs, often shrubby. This genus is distinguished from the 

 preceding by its usually umbellate irregular flowers, in which 

 the petals are dissimilar, and in the upper sepal being fur- 

 nished with a spur, which is adnate to the pedicel. There are 

 about 170 species of this genus ; with the exception of 3 North 

 African and Oriental species, 2 or 3 Australasian species, and 

 1 or 2 from St. Helena, all are natives of South Africa. Name 

 from irsXapryo?, a stork, in reference to the beaked carpels. 

 Although none of the members of this genus are hardy in 

 England, we introduce it here because so many are grown for 

 the Summer embellishment of gardens. These are popularly 

 termed Geraniums. We must limit ourselves to a short 

 notice of the principal species, which have given birth to the 

 numerous beautiful varieties now in cultivation. The species 

 have been so variously intercrossed and recrossed that it is 

 impossible to refer some of the varieties with any degree oi 

 certainty to this or that species ; but there are several tolerably 

 well-defined races or classes of varieties. Pelargoniums have 

 been cultivated now upwards of 150 years, and English gar- 

 deners may claim the credit of having contributed more towards 

 their improvement than the gardeners of all other nations 

 collectively. It does not come within our province to enume- 

 rate varieties or even to discriminate all the classes founded by 

 horticulturists. Information of this description is better drawn 

 from the annual catalogues of the principal florists. The ' Show ' 

 and 4 Fancy' Pelargoniums are the descendants of P. grandiflo- 

 rum, and some other species; but as they are not usually employed 

 out of doors we must dismiss them without further comment. 



