36 LETTER II. 



only in appearance like that of umbelliferous plants. 

 The first rays, instead of setting off exactly from the 

 same centre, arise some a little higher, and some a 

 little lower ; the little rays originate with still less 

 regularity ; there is nothing like the invariable order 

 you find in umbelliferous plants. In fact, the ar- 

 rangement of the flowers of the Elder is in a cyme^ 

 and not in an umbel. See how mistakes will some- 

 times lead us to the discovery of truth." 



You must not suppose from so much having been 

 said about the umbel, that that kind of arrangement 

 of flowers, always indicates an umbelliferous plant ; 

 on the contrary it is only when the umbels bear infe- 

 rior fruits separating into two grains that they really 

 belong to plants of this natural order. There are 

 many other plants which bear umbels, with a different 

 structure of the flower, as for instance the Geranium 

 tribe (Plate II. 2.). Many species of that natural 

 order have simple umbels, but the structure of their 

 flowers is exceedingly different. Suppose I fill up my 

 letter with. some account of them ; if you are weary of 

 study for the moment, you can leave off" at the point 

 at which we have now arrived, and resume the subject 

 on another day. 



Do you know what a Geranium is ? if you ask the 

 gardener for one, he will bring you a neat-looking 

 shrubby green-house plant, with fragrant leaves and 

 upright umbels of beautiful red flowers ; this however 

 is not a Geranium, although it is nearly related to one, 

 and belongs to the Geranium tribe ; it is a Pelargo- 

 nium. The real Geraniums are little herbs which 



