PLATE XII. 



GERANIUM GRANDIFLORUM. 



Large/1 flowered Crane s - bill. 



CLASS XVI. ORDER II. 

 MONODELPHIA DECANDRIA. Threads united. Ten Chives. 



GENERIC 

 Calyx. Perianthium pentaphyllum: foliolis 

 ovatis, acutis, concavis, perliftentibus. 



Corolla. Petala quinque, obcordata, feu 



ovata, patentia, magna. 

 Stamina. Filamenta decern, fubulata, corolla 



breviora. Antherae oblongas, verfatiles. 



Pistillum. Germen quinquangulare, roftra- 

 tum. Stylus fubulatus, ftaminibus longior, 

 perfifiens. Stigmata quinque, reflexa. 



Peeicarpium nullum. Fruclus pentacoccus, 

 roftratus. 



Semina folitaria, reniformia, faepc arillata; 

 Arifta longifiima, demum fpirali. 



SPECIFIC 

 Geranium, calycibus monophyllis, fbliis quin- 

 que-lobis, glabris, dentatis; floribus am- 

 pliilimis, fub-albidis. 



CHARACTER. 



Empalement. Cup five leaves: leaves egg- 



fhaped, {harp pointed, concave, and per- 

 manent. 

 Blossom. Five petals, inverfely heart-fhaped, 



or egg {haped, fpreading, and large. 

 Chives. Ten threads, awl-fhaped and fhorter 



than the blolibm. Tips oblong, eafily turn- 



cd round. 

 Poixtal. Seed-bud five-angled, and beaked. 



Shaft awl-fhaped, longer than the chives 



and remaining. Five reflexcd Commits. 

 Seed-vessel none. Fruit five dry berries, 



beaked. 

 Seeds, folitary, kidney-fhaped, often furnifhed 



with a dry bulky coat, and a very long 



awn, which become fpiral, 

 CHARACTER. 



Geranium, empalements of one leaf; leaves five- 



lobed, fmooth, and toothed; the flowers 



very large, nearly white. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 



1. The Empalement cut open, to fhew its tubular ftrufture. 



2. The Chives, and Pointal, as placed in the flower, (natural lize.) 



3. The Shaft, Summits, and Seed-bud, (magnified.) 



Of all the fpecies of this numerous tribe, introduced to us, from the Cape of Good Hope, this ftands 

 Angularly pre-eminent; whether for delicacy of foliage, or beauty of flower, of which, the mod 

 finillied drawing would convey but a faint idea. The figure before us. was taken from a plant in the 

 valuable collection of G. Hibbert, Efq. Clapham; from whom we underftand, that it was fent in 1 ~gl 

 to the Royal Gardens at Kew. by Mr. F. Maflbn. To keep this plant in a flourifhing condition, it 

 lhould be kept in a window of the ftove, in winter, as the heat of a greenhoufe is fcarce furficicnt at 

 that feafon. It flowers in July, or Auguft, and requires the foil generally ufed for Geraniums, a mix- 

 ture of rotten dung, and loam; being eafily propagated by cuttings. 



To diffent from molt of the late publications on the fcience of Botany, may leem prefuming; yet, 

 when it ihall be confidered, that we take Linnaeus for our fole guide, where that great matter has 

 inconteftibly fixed a Generic character, to a tribe of plants, which undoubtedly, came clearly under 

 his infpedtion; from his dictates, ours mull emanate, although his authority may be questioned by- 

 others. It any good realbns had been found, to difunite a Genus, which nature has fo palpably diftin- 

 guifhed throughout all its numerous fpecies; he certainly, who had minutely examined fo main-, 

 would not in his factitious Syftem have allied them; though nature had apparently fo done. We 

 mult therefore, after him, think no Generic divifion necelfary. For the fake of correclnefs, where a 

 Genus is fo extended in its fpecies as Geranium, Erica, &c. are; the conformity of particular parts, 

 may form a fecondary arrangement, as we rind it conftantly in Linnaeus; the Heaths, from the lhape 

 of their tips, the Geraniums, from the number of fertile Chives; which a French Botanili of the name 

 of L'Heritier, has thought of fufficient moment to create two new Genera on, Erodium and Pelargo- 

 nium, retaining the old name Geranium for thole only, with ten perfect Chives. Monf. L'Heritier and 

 his followers mult, therefore, forgive us for ranking one of his Pelargoniums under the old llandard. 



