GEBAIflACE^. 145 



4. Meado'w Geranium. Geranium pratense, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 404.) 



Distinguished from the wood G. chiefly by its more cut leaves, and larger 

 bluish-purple flowers loosely panicled on longer peduncles ; the pedicels 

 always moi e or less spreading or reflesed after flowering. The filaments 

 are also much flattened in their lower part, and the claws of the petals 

 ciliated on the edge, not bearded inside. 



In meadows, woods, and thickets, roadsides, etc., widely spread over 

 Europe and Russian Asia, but not an Arctic species, although, like the last, 

 chiefly a mountain plant in southern Europe. In Britain, rather less fre- 

 quent than the wood G., not extending so far north in Scotland, but more 

 widely spread in southern England ; not recorded in the Irish Flora. Fl. 

 summer. 



5. Mountain Geranium. Geranium p3rrenaicum, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 405.) 



A perennial, like the four last species, but with smaller flowers, and much 

 of the habit of the annual ones. Stems often 2 feet long or more, and 

 branclied, more or less covered with short, soft hairs. Leaves orbicular, 

 deeply cut into 5 or 7 coarsely toothed, usually obtuse, lobes. Flowers nu- 

 merous, on slender pedicels, two together on each peduncle. Sepals scarcely 

 2 lines long. Petals about twice their length, pale purple and veined, deeply 

 notched. 



A native of the hiUy districts of central and southern Europe to the 

 Caucasus, but frequently naturahzed on roadsides and waste places furtl^r 

 to tlie north. In Britain it appears to be fully estabhshed in several parts 

 of England, southern Scotland, and Ireland. Fl. spring and summer. 



6. Herb-Robert Geranium. Geranium Robertianum, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1486. Herh-Robert) 



An erect or spreading, much branched annual, 6 inches to near a foot 

 liigh, generally bearing a few s6ft hairs, often turning bright red in all its 

 parts, and smelling disagreeably when rubbed. Leaves divided into 3 pin- 

 nate or twice pinnate segments, never orbicular or palmate (except the 3 

 primary divisions). Flowers rather small. Sepals hairy, with long points. 

 Petals reddish-purple or rarely white, sometimes nearly twice the length 

 of the calyx, obovate and entire, with glabrous, erect claws. Carpels gla- 

 brous, with a few transverse wrinkles. 



In stony and waste places, open woods, etc., very common throughout 

 Europe, Russian and central Asia, and northern America, short of the 

 Arctic Circle. Abundant in Britain. Fl. the whole season. A maritime 

 variety, with thicker leaves and smaller flowers, hi»s been described under 

 the name of O. purpureum (Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2648). 



7. Shining Geranium. Geranium lucidum, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 75, the leaves not correct.) 

 An annual, often turning red Uke the Herb-Rolert Q., but always gla- 

 brous and shining, and the leaves are orbicular and palmately lobed, with 

 broad segments usually obtuse, or rarely slightly pointed. It is easily dis- 

 tinguished also from all our Geraniums by the pyramidal calyx, the edges 

 of the erect sepals forming very projecting angles. Petals hke those of the 

 Herb-Robert G., but smaller. 



o 



