CLASS XVI. ORDER II. | GERANIUM. 933 
shorter. Flowers mostly several from the axis of the upper leaves, 
“one, two, or sometimes three, elevated on a slender round hairy 
peduncle, of variable length. Stipules and bractea small, membra- 
nous, smooth. Calyx of oblong obtuse short pointed pieces, downy. 
Petals very small, sometimes wanting, and very fugacious. Capsules 
hairy, the awns almost smooth. 
Habitat—Sandy and gravelly places near the sea, not common ; 
the Lizard and at Perranzabuloe, Cornwall; Steep Holmes, and near 
Bristol; Glenluce, Galloway, Scotland; Hill of Howth, and the 
South side of Killiney Hill, Ireland. 
Perennial ; flowering from May to September. 
The Erodiums are herbaceous plants, bearing small inconspicuous 
flowers, the fruit of which is in most of the species remarkable, from 
the long narrow tapering hardened beak, which is formed by the 
elongated styles, united round a prolonged axis. The carpels are five, 
narrow, conical, membranous, pointed at the base, one celled, con- 
taining a single pendulous seed. The style, which becomes elon- 
gated, and forms the awn, is highly hygrometrical, and as the plant 
matures, this, from the unequal density of its structure, curves up 
with an elastic force, and becomes more or less spirally twisted in its 
lower part. ‘The carpels and the inner surface of the awn is more or 
less thickly clothed with bristles pointed upwards. From this strue- 
ture of the fruit it will be seen how admirably the progeny are pro- 
vided for their future sustenance and growth. The pointed carpels of 
a slender conical shape more readily pierce the ground, the elongated 
awn curved and twisting round by changing humidity screws it be- 
neath the soil, while every advanced movement that it makes it is pre- 
yented from retracting by the up-pointed bristles, which barb the 
carpel and inner surface of the awn; thus its penetration of the earth 
(which is mostly of a dry sandy nature) is secure, and the awn further 
performs the important part of attracting moisture from the atmosphere, 
and conducting it most faithfully to its tender charge below, until it is 
enabled to support itself. 
The medicinal properties of the genus are of no value; ZF. cicuta- 
rium and EH’. moschatum have been employed as aromatic bitters, but 
their power as tonics is so feeble that they have gone out of use. 
ORDER II. 
DECAN'DRIA. Ten Sramens. 
GENUS Il GERA'NIUM.—Linn. Crane’s-bill. 
Nat. Ord. GrRANIACE’&. Dr Canp. 
Gen. Cuan. Calyx of five pieces. Stamens ten, alternately larger, 
each of the larger ones bearing a gland at the base. Fruit 
