OERANIACE.r.. 



Pelargonium'^ (fig. 15-17) has been reasonably defined as con- 

 sisting of Geraniums with irregular flowers. The sepals, five in 

 nnmber, are disposed in quincuncial prtefloration in the bud, sepal 2 be- 

 ing posterior and sepals 1 and 3 anterior. These two latter, like sepals 



Pdargoni 



Fig. 1Ô. Long. sect, 

 of flower (f). 



Fig. 17. Dehiscent fruit (f). Fig. 16. Diagram. 



4 and 5, which they cover, are inserted by a narrow horizontal base as 

 in the preceding genera, while the posterior has a peculiar form and 

 mode of insertion. The highly developed base is much curved and con- 

 cave above, so that its insertion has the shape of a horseshoe with long 

 branches very near each other. Between this base and the corresponding 

 side of the receptacle, which is furrowed, is found a long tubular 

 cavity whose inner surface is glandular towards the bottom, and which 

 forms a spur united or adnate to the pedicel." The corolla is also 

 irregular, formed of five petals alternate with the sepals, and im- 

 bricated in th<? bud. The two posterior ai"e alike, as are also the 

 two lateral which they envelop in pra;floration ; but these have not 

 generally exactly the same colour, form, nor size as the two joosterior 



Fleshy plants with defoliate thorny petioles, and 

 caducous or sessile limbs, small. 



1 L'hee. Geraii. t. 7-35, 43, 4-t.— DC. Prodr. 

 i. 649.— Spach, Suit, à Biiffon, iii. 307.— Endl. 

 Gen. n. 6048.— Payer, Organog. 59, t. 13.— H. 

 Bx.in Payer Fani. Nat. 400.— B. H. Oct. 273, n. 

 C (incl. : CampijUn Sweet, C'iconiuin Sweet, Coi-- 

 tusiiiu EcKL. et Zeyh. Diirnrhin Eckl. et Zeyh. 

 Dimacria Sweet, Eitmorpha Eckl. Greiivilha 

 Sweet, Hoarea Sweet, Isopctnliiiii Eckl. Jen- 



kiusonia Sweet, Mtjrihiilium Eckl. Olidia 

 Sweet, Po-istera Eckl. Phymataitthus Sweet, 

 Pulijactitim Eckl. et Zeyh. PolijchUma Turcz. 

 Seymouria S^VEET). 



2 Sometimes we see the flowers of Pelargonium 

 provided with three spurs of this kind, two of 

 which are accidental, situated on the anterior 

 .side of the pedicel ; the sepals 1 and 3 may in 

 this case acquire ahnormally the mode of inser- 

 tion of sepal 2. 



