OERANIACE^. 3 



apex. The fruit, enveloped in a i^ersistent acsrescont calyx, is com- 

 posed of five achenes with rugose reticulated surface ; each contains 

 a fornicate seed whose coats cover a thin fleshy albumen with ciu'ved 

 embryo, the cotyledons being flat, or more or less folded, and the 

 radicle conical and superior. Biehersteinia consists of perennial herbs 

 from Greece, the East, and Central Asia.' From the perennial stem, 

 which is often short and more or less swollen into a tuberous mass, 

 partly subterranean, spring the leaves, which are alternate, penni- 

 nerved, dissected or compound, accompanied by two lateral stipules, 

 often adnate to the petiole for a variable distance and bearing, like 

 most of the organs of this plant, haii-s generally capitate and glan- 

 dular. The flowers^ are disposed in axillary pedunculate racemes ; 

 and each floral pedicel, situated in the axil of a bract, is accompanied 

 by two lateral bractlcts. 



II. GEKANIUM SERIES. 



The Geraniums^ (fig. 1 , 8-14) have regular hermaphi-odite flowers. 

 The convex receptacle bears five free sepals,"* disposed in quincuncial 

 prœfloration in the bud, and five alternate petals, also free, contorted 

 or more rarely imbricated in the bud, and generally alike." The 

 androceum is formed by ten stamens, superposed, five to the petals 

 and five to the sepals, the latter being shorter than and exterior to 

 the others.^ Each is composed of a filament, dilated at the base, 

 and free or united for a very short distance with the neighbouring 

 filaments, and of a bilocular, introrse, versatile anther, dehiscing by 

 two longitudinal clefts.^ Outside the androceum the receptacle 



1 Spach admits seven species in this genus — Spach, Suit, à liiiffoii, iii. 280. — Exdl. Gen. n. 



which Benth. and Hook, reduce to three. 6046. — Payer, Orrjanog. 58. — A. Gray, Gen. III. 



Ledeb. Fl. Alt. lii. 225, t. 447.— Eoyle, Himnl. t. 150.— B. H. Gen. 272, n. 4.— H. B.v. in Payer 



t. 30.— Bge. TV)-;. Atl. Fji. SO.— Jauis. ct Spach, Fam. Nat. 390. 



III. PL Or. ii. 108, t. 190-193.— Boiss. Biagn. ■■ Their apex often has outwardly a more or 



PI. Or. ii. 113 ; Fl. Or. i. S99.— Walp. Ann. i. less elongated point. 



152 ; vii. 482. * But sometimes slightly dissimilar in size and 



. ^ White or yellow. colour, recalling thus the normal disposition of 



3 Geranium T. Inst. 206, t. 142 (part).— L. the Pelart/u.unni.s ; then especially the prœ- 



Gen. n. 389.— Adan's. Fan. rles. PI. ii. 388. — J. iloration is imbricated. 



Gen. 268.— GiERTN. Fruut. i. 383, t. 79.— Lamk. ^ Yoy. A. Dickson, in Adansonia, iv. 187. 



Diet. ii. 647; Suppl. ii. 738; III. t. 573.— ' The colour of the anthers is often reddish, 

 L'heuit. Geraniulog. 30-40.— DC. Prodr. i. 039. 



