THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 25 
H. Japonicum, Thunbe'g. Flowers Sept. to April. Distributed 
Tasmania, New Zealand, New Caledonia, and the hilly country 
of India. 
Order, Linee, D.C. 
Properties.—Mucilaginous, oily and diuretic. The Seeds are 
occasionally purgative. The stem contains the fibre, which con- 
stitute flax 
Linum, Tournef. Etym. From the root lin, a thread, the parent 
of many words in Latin, English and French. 
L. marginale, All Cunningh. Native Flax. Flowers Sept. to May. 
Distributed Tasinania. Introduced in New Zealand. 
Order, Geraniacee, A. L. de Jussien. 
Properties.—Often astringent, aromatic, and abound in volatile 
oil. Oxalis abounds in oxalic acid, others have eatable tubers. The 
root of Geranium maculatum is powerfully astringent. It contains 
Tannin. G. Robertianum is a remedy in nephritic complaints. 
The so-called garden Geraniums are VPelargontw, haying 
zygomorphie flowers, a spurred sepal, perigynous petals, no glands, 
and few declinate stamens. 
Pelargonium, L’Heritier. Htym. From the shape of the fruit 
resembling a stork’s bill. 
P. australe, Willdenow. Wild Geranium. Flowers':October to 
February. Distributed Tasmania, New Zealand, South Africa, 
and Tristan d’Acunha. 
Uses.—A lotion of bruised leaves of this plant is useful for burns 
and scalds. 
P. Rodneyanum, Mitchell. Apparently but a large flowered 
variety of the preceding. Distributed. Confined to Australia. 
Erodium, L’Heritier. Etym. From the greek épwdioc (erodios), 
a heron, the fruit resembling somewhat the beak of that bird. 
Vern. name, Stork’s Bill. 
E. cicutarium, L’Heéritier, Flowers nearly all the year round. 
Naturalized. Distributed Europe, North Africa, Siberia, 
West Asia to North West India. 
Geranium, Tournefort. Etym. In allusion to the fruit, bearing a 
slight resemblance to a crane’s bill. Vern. name, Crane’s 
Bill. 
G. dissectum, L. Flowers nearly all the year round. Almost 
universally distributed. The species is subject to great 
variation. 
Oxalis, L.  Hiym. From ofve (oxus), sharp, acid, Vern. 
name, Wood Sorrel. 
Uses.—The genus Oxalis contains binoxalate of potash, prepared 
by the evaporation of the juice. The salt is the Sal acetosella of 
