GERANIACE^ 



"S 



two together, on axillary peduncles. Stamens lo, of which 5 are 

 shorter. Ovary 5-lobed, terminating in a short beak, with 5 long 

 stigmas at the top. Capsule separating into 5 one-seeded carpels, 

 which curl upwards, and with a long elastic awn, detached from the 

 beak. 



A genus of about 150 species spread over the northern hemisphere, 

 with a few species in the southern (extra tropical). 



Geranium macrorrhizum L. 



Rootstock oblique or horizontal, thick, and covered with the 

 tufts of withered leaves. Stem about a foot high, erect, branching 

 dichotomously. Leaves shiny, palmately y-fid, cut and serrated. 

 Flower-stalks 2-flowered ; pedicels erect after flowering. Petals 

 somewhat spathulate, bright reddish purple. Stamens curved 

 downwards. Capsule glabrous, wrinlcled transversely. A strongly 

 scented plant. 



Stony places, especially in river beds in the lower Alps up to 5000 

 feet ; very local. June, July. 



Distribution. — Carpathians, Eastern Alps, Maritime Alps, N. 

 Italy, Balkan Provinces, Greece. 



This handsome plant should be cultivated in English rock-gardens. 

 Place it between stones in a sunny aspect, give it plenty of water 

 at first, and after getting well established it must not be allowed 

 to get rampant. 



Geranium sylvaticum L. (Plate XXX.) 



Slightly pubescent, and somewhat glandular in the upper portion. 

 Stem erect, i to 2 feet high, robust. Radical leaves on long stalks, 

 palmately and deeply divided with 5 or 7 pointed lobes, more or 

 less -cut and serrated. Stem-leaves few, on much shorter stalks. 

 Upper part of stem repeatedly forked, forming a rather dense 

 panicle of handsome purplish flowers. Peduncles short, each with 

 2 flowers, on short pedicels, remaining erect when the fruit is ripe. 

 Sepals sharply mucronate. Petals obovate, slightly notched, nearly 

 twice the length of the calyx. 



Meadows and bushy places in the mountains up to 7000 feet, 

 and rarely in the south extending to 8000 feet (Col du Galibier). 

 Before the meadows are mown in June or July this geranium often 

 covers large areas and gives quite a purple haze to the landscape. 

 To a certain extent it takes the place of our G. pratense, which is 

 rare in Switzerland. 



In Britain sylvaticum is more confined to some of the woods in the 

 west and north, and is not often seen in meadows. 



Distribution. — Throughout Europe and Russian Asia, extending 

 to the Arctic regions. In Norway to above the birch limit. 



