OBRANIACE^. 7 



Pelargonium^ (fig. 15-17) lias been reasonably defined as con- 

 sisting of Geraniums with irregular fiowers. The sepals, five in 

 niimber, are disposed in quiacuncial prsefloration in the bud, sepal 2 be- 

 ing posterior and sepals 1 and 3 anterior. These two latter, like sepals 



Pelargonium inquimans. 



Fig. 15. Long. sect, 

 of flower (I). 



Fig. 17. Dehiscent fruit (|). 



Fig. 16. Diagram. 



4 and 5, which they cover, are inserted by a narrow horizontal base as 

 in the precediQg genera, while the posterior has a peculiar form and 

 mode of insertion. The highly developed base is much curved and con- 

 cave above, so that its insertion has the shape of a horseshoe with long 

 branches very near each other. Between this base and the corresponding 

 side of the receptacle, which is furrowed, is found a long tubular 

 cavity whose inner surface is glandular towards the bottom, and which 

 forms a spur united or adnate to the pedicel.^ The corolla is also 

 irregular, formed of five petals alternate with the sepals, and im- 

 bricated in the bud. The two posterior are alike, as are also the 

 two lateral which they envelop in prsefloration ; but these have not 

 generally exactly the same colour, form, nor size as the two posterior 



Fleshy plants with defoliate thorny petiolea, and 

 caducous or sessile limbs, small. 



1 L'her. Geran. t. 7-35, 43, 44.— DC. Frodr. 

 i. 649. — Spach, Suit, a Buffon, iii. 307. — Endl. 

 Gen. n. 6048.— Payer, Organog. 69, t. 13.— H. 

 'S^.'mFayer Fain. Nat. 400.— B.H. ©ct. 273, n. 

 6 (inol. : Campylia Sweet, Ciconium Sweet, Cor- 

 tusiita EcKL. et Zeyh. Sibrachia Eokl. st Zeyh. 

 Bimacria Sweet, Eumorpha Eckl. Grenvilka 

 Sweet, Soarea Sweet, Isopetalum Eckl. Jen- 



Mnsonia Sweet, Myrrhidium Eckl. Otidia 

 Sweet, Fcristera Eckl. Fhymatanthua Sweet, 

 Folyactium Eckl. et Zeyh. Folyehitma Tukcz. 

 Seyinowia Sweet). 



^ Sometimes we see the flowers of Felargonium 

 provided with three spurs of this Mnd, two of 

 which are accidental, situated on the anterior 

 side of the pedicel ; the sepals 1 and 3 may in 

 this case acquire abnormally the mode of inser- 

 tion of sepal 2. 



