30 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



entirely plants of South Africa. "We have seen, however, that some 

 species belong to the East, to iN'orthern Africa, and even to New 

 Zealand and Australia. There are in all regions species of Geranium^ 

 Erodium, and Impatiens, but they are especially plants from the 

 temperate regions of the old world.^ 



The properties^ of the Geraniacece are tolerably varied, but they 

 belong to two types. Some are odoriferous and aromatic, as 

 Geranium, Pelargonium ; others are acid or have a piquant sharpness 

 like the Crucifers : such are Tropceolum, Oxalis, and Floekea. All 

 are exciting, stimulating, warm, and consequently digestives, pur- 

 gatives, aperients, antiscorbutics, etc. The essential volatile oil 

 which renders them fragrant is not very abundant in the vegetative 

 organs^ of the Geraniums and Erodiums of the temperate regions ; 

 but its presence is manifest in the perfumed leaves of E. moschatum,'^ 

 which are used in prepariag exciting, digestive, diaphoretic 

 infusions, and in those of the CranesbiHs (Fr. Bec-de-grue^) belonging 

 to Geranium (fig. 1, 12-14), and in G. rotundifolia^ and pratenseJ 

 There is often a certain proportion of tannin which causes them to 

 be employed as tonics, astringents, hemostatics, or vulneraries, 

 G. sanguineum (fi.g. 8-11) columbinum, pusillum, nodosum, carolinia- 

 num, mewicanum, Hernandesii, tuberosum, etc., and Erodium gruinum 

 and cicutarium? These properties are much stronger still in 

 Geranium maculatum,^ or Alum-root of the United States, which is 



1 The Erodiums are perhaps not natives of " Geranium Sobertiamim L. Spec. 996. — DC 

 America ; there are certainly hut few which Pi-odr. i. 664, u. 63. — Gken. et Godk. Fl. de Fr. 

 can claim to he so. There are prohahly hut i. 307. — Cazin, PI. Medic. Indig. ed. 3, 477, t. 

 two American species of Impalieiis, while the 20. (fferie a Robert, Serbs a V esquinancie, Fied- 

 old world has ahout thirty. de-pigeon, Pied-de-colombe, Bec-de-eigogne, Patte- 



2 Bndl. Eiicliirid. 621, 625, 626, 628. — GuiB. d'alouette, Persil maringonia.) 



Drag. Simpl. ed. 6, iii. 667-672 — Lindl. Fl. ^ Jj. Spec. 957 . — Gay. Diss. iv. t. 93, fig. 2. — 



Med. 221, 222. — Eosenth. Synops. Plant. Dia- Gken. et Gode. Fl. de Fr. i. 305. 



pUr. 888-892, 894-899. 7 L. Spec. 964.— Cav. Diss. iv. t. 87, fig. 1.— 



3 This essence is secreted hy the capitate Delaun. Ha-b. de I'amal. t. 118 Set-ba Geranii 

 hairs which in the Pelargonium JRosats may he batrachioidis of£). 



observed in unequal quantities on both surfaces ^ See Rosbnth. op. cit. 888-890. 



of the leaves (and on other organs of vegeta- ".L. Spec. 955. — Dill. Mth. t. 132, fig. 169. 



tion). They are formed of several ceUulea Cav. Diss. iv. t. 86, fig. 2. Bigel. Amer, Med. 



placed end to end, separated hy transverse par- Bot. i. 84, t. 8. — DC. Prodr. i. 642 n. 38. Mer. 



titions, and their head is spherical or neai-ly so. et Del. Diet. Mat. Med. iii. 368. Lindl Fl. 



* W. Spec. iii. 631.— DC. Prodr. i. 647, n. 23. Med. 221.— Bentl. in PAarm. Journ. ser. 2, v. 



— Eosenth. op. cit. 888 {Herba Mosehatce v. 20. — Gum. op. cit. 670. — Eosenth. op. cit. 899 



Amis muscatie off.). {Crowfoot). 



