PLATE CVIII. 



GERANIUM RENIFORME. 



Kidney-Jliape-leaved Geranium. 



CLASS XVI. ORDER IV. Qf Sypi. %<«* 



Feget. 1781. 



MONODELPHIA DECANDRIA. Threads united. Ten Chives. 



ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Monogyna. Stigmata quinque. 

 Fructus rofiratus, penta-coccus. 



One Pointal. Five Summits. 

 Fruit furnifhed with long awns, five dry ber- 

 ries. 



SeeGERANIUIrtGRANDIFLORUM. PI. XII. Vol. L 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



Geranium foliis reniformibus, crenato-dentatis, 

 tomentofis; floribus heptandris, fubquater- 

 nis, purpureis; caule fruticofo, fub-carnolb. 



Geranium with kidney-fhaped leaves, between 

 fcolloped and toothed at the edges, and 

 downy; flowers with feven fertile tips, 

 grow moftly by fours, and are purple ; ftem 

 fhrubby, and almoft fleftiy. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 



1. The Empalement cut open, to fhew its hollow ftrudhvre. 



2. The Chives and Pointal, natural fize. 



3. The Threads cut open, to fhew their number, as well as the general number of fertile tips, 



magnified. 



4. The Pojntal and Seed-buds, magnified. 



From the Hort. Cantab, publifhed this year, by the accurate Mr. J. Donn, we learn that this fine 

 fpecies of Geranium was introduced to the Royal Gardens, Kew, about nine years fince; yet, till 

 within thefe two years, it has not been feen in any other collection. Our drawing was made in July 

 1799, from a plant in the Clapham colle&ion. Tins Geranium muft be treated rather as a dry-ftove 

 than as a common greenhoufe plant, for it affines much to G. Fulgidum, and a few others, which are 

 inhabitants of the fandy deferts of the more interior parts of Africa, and which require more heat than 

 is proper for thole from Table Mountain, or the vicinity of the Cape. It is propagated by cuttings 

 made about the month of March, and placed under a fmall glafs, either in a hotbed, or in the bark 

 bed of the hothoufe : it may be increafed by the root likewife, and from feed which is fometimes 

 perfected. A comport of cow dung, at leafl two years old, one part, fea fand one part, and light loam 

 two parts, is the moft proper for many of the tenderer forts of this genus. 



