Nat. Ord. Geraniace.£. 



WOOD GEKANIUM. 



CRANES-BILL. 



[Geranium mamhtam.) 



[HERE are but few flowers of the Cranes-bill family in Canada. 

 The one most worthy of notice is the Wood Geranium 

 (^Geranium maculatam). This is a very ornamental plant ; 

 its favourite locality is open grassy tickets among low 

 bushes, especially those tracts of country known as Oak-openings, 

 where it often reaches to the height of from 2° to 3° throwinjr out 

 many branches adorned with deep lilnc flowers : the half-opened buds 

 are very lovely. The blossom consists of five petals, obtuse and 

 slightly indented on their upper margins, and are lined and delicately 

 veined with purple. The calyx consists of five pointed sepals ; stamens 

 ten ; the anthers are of a reddish brown ; styles five, cohering at the 

 top. When the seed is mature these curl up, bearing the ripe brown 

 seed adhering to the base of each one. The common name Cranes- 

 bill has been derived from the long grooved and stork-like beak 

 which supports the stigmata. The Greek name of the plant means a 

 Crane. The whole plant is more or less beset with silvery hairs. 

 The leaves are divided into about five principal segments: these 

 again are lobed and cut into sharply pointed irregularly sized teeth- 



