70 FAMILIAR GARDEN FLOWERH. 



in tliem, and that have, licj'ond all reasonable doiiht, con- 

 triliuted their eliaraeti-rs to the collective flower we call a 

 pelara^'onium. If we had to make a selection from the 

 five hnndred species and varieties fio'ured by Sweet in his 

 " Geraniaceae/' we should lean to P. solnhlle and P. hemi- 

 fortiaiiiim as likely to have contrihuted in an important 

 degree to the fashioning of the ilorist's flower, because of 

 the distinct lobing of the leaves, the breadth of their petals, 

 and their tendency to variation of colour. 



Those who are curious as to the history of the pelar- 

 gonium may be advised to make a careful inspection of the 

 extensive and beautiful collection of Cape sj^ecies in the 

 possession of the Royal Horticultural Society, in their ex- 

 perimental garden at Chiswick. The more distinctive and 

 showy of these have hitherto been annually presented to 

 public notice in connection with the exhibitions of the 

 Pelargonium Society, and have been greatly admired. The 

 difference between them and the magnificent flowers of the 

 florists is so great that it seems impossible there should be 

 any relation Ix'tween them of any kind whatever. And 

 3'et the unpretending wilding's, in many instances, are the 

 real parents of the resplendent varieties that bear the names 

 of heroes, horses, statesmen, ladies, actors, and eminent 

 horticulturists, to distinguish them in the competitions 

 that give life to flower-shows. Not often do we in a floral 

 fete have presented to our view at one and the same time 

 the wild flowers of the desert and their descendants of the 

 garden ; and this particular feature of the annual exhiliition 

 of the Pelargonium Society may be regarded as uni(pie. 



As classifi(.'d for exhibition purposes, there are six kinds 

 of pelargoniums, but for our jiresent purpose we may con- 

 sider there are but three — namely, the show varieties, sup- 



