IrECTUEE ON THE PELARGONIUM. 



17 



The Zonal race acquired importance subsequently to the large- 

 flowering section. Those we collectively term " Zonals tf were 

 grouped by Sweet under the generic designation Ciconium, and the 

 most important of this genus are Ciconium zonale, introduced in 

 1710, and Ciconium inquinans, introduced in 1714. These are the 

 two parents of the race, no doubt, but their differences do not 

 account for the fact that in the garden varieties we have every 

 imaginable variation of leafage and of bloom. It is likely that 

 Ciconium reticulatum of Sweet (143), a very distinct hybrid, gave 

 the first touch to the variegation of the leaves which has in recent 

 years attained to such extraordinary development. In any case, 

 this hybrid marks a distinct departure and appears well suited to be 

 the founder of a race* The " Nosegay " section is the oldest of the 

 Zonals. The founder of this section is Ciconium Eothergilli, the 

 figure of which by Sweet (226) would nearly serve to represent a 

 good Nosegay of the present day, and it may therefore be concluded 

 that the Nosegays have been less modified than the Zonals that 

 represent zonale and inquinans. 



Another early section is that with green leaves and pink flowers 

 of which we may consider Christine the modern type. This section 

 is foreshadowed in Ciconium cerinum, which is admirably figured 

 by Sweet (176). Here we have pubescent leaves and flowers of a 

 soft rosy pink colour, the petals of which are beautifully rounded 

 and nearly equal in size. Cultivators who remember Lucia rosea 

 will have no difficulty in connecting the dwarf bedding Pelargo- 

 niums of the Christine class with this beautiful wax-flowered Pelar- 

 gonium, which Sweet regarded as a true species. 



The most famous of the Zonal section is the green-leaved scarlet 

 bedder known as General Tom Thumb, a descendant of FrogmoreScar- 

 let, and a competitor of Huntsman, Cooper's Scarlet, and many more 

 which the General quickly vanquished from the field. This famous 

 variety was raised by Mr. Will son, gardener to W. Pigott, Esq., of 

 Dullingham House, Newmarket, about the year 1842. It is said that 

 as a seedling it was condemned and handed over to some children to 

 be tormented, and very soon found its way to a dust-bin. But by 

 some accident it was dragged from the dust-bin and planted, and as 

 the summer advanced it manifested its character, and secured its 



