Geraniacee—Geranium. 89 
high in compact tufts. Leaves 3- to 5-lobed; lobes toothed. 
Peduncles 2- or 3-flowered. Flowers white, striped with rose. 
A free-blooming species throughout the Summer. South of 
Europe. 
_4. G. phewm.—About 18 inches high and similar to G. pra- 
ténse, with fewer smaller dusky dark purple flowers. Leaves 
on long petioles, orbicular or reniform, 5- to 7-lobed, lobes cut 
and serrate. Peduncles deflexed, 2-flowered. Central Europe ; 
naturalised in some parts of England. 
There are several other species in cultivation, including G. 
Endréssii, with large rose-coloured flowers ; G. praténse, a tall 
native species with deep blue flowers; and G. tuberdswm, rose- 
coloured flowers. 
2. PELARGONIUM. 
Herbs, often shrubby. This genus is distinguished from the 
preceding by its usually umbellate irregular flowers, in which 
the petals are dissimilar, and in the upper sepal being fur- 
nished with a spur, which is adnate to the pedicel. There are 
about 170 species of this genus; with the exception of 3 North 
African and Oriental species, 2 or 3 Australasian species, and 
1 or 2 from St. Helena, all are natives of South Africa. Name 
from eédapyés, a stork, in reference to the beaked carpels. 
Although none of the members of this genus are hardy in 
England, we introduce it here because so many are grown for 
the Summer embellishment of gardens. These are popularly 
termed Geraniums. We must limit ourselves to a short 
notice of the principal species, which have given birth to the 
numerous beautiful varieties now in cultivation. The species 
have been so variously intercrossed and recrossed that it is 
impossible to refer some of the varieties with any degree ot 
certainty to this or that species ; but there are several tolerably 
well-defined races or classes of varieties. Pelargoniums have 
been cultivated now upwards of 150 years, and English gar- 
deners may claim the credit of having contributed more towards 
their improvement than the gardeners of all other nations 
collectively. It does not come within our province to enume- 
rate varieties or even to discriminate all the classes founded by 
horticulturists. Information of this description is better drawn 
from the annual catalogues of the principal florists. The ‘Show’ 
and ‘Fancy’ Pelargoniums are the descendants of P. grandiflé- 
rum, and some other species; but as theyare not usually employed 
out of doors we must dismiss them without further comment. 
