ITO 
OEDER POLYANDKIA. 
Trigynia. But its place in this part of the Linngean system 
seems clearly indicated ; it is the type of a natural order, Pas- 
sifloracece^ which contains few genera. In this artificial order 
is the Stork's-bill geranium {Erodium) ; it is an exotic, and be- 
longs to the natural order Gercmiacece. 
246. Order Heptandria, seven stamens^ contains the genus Pelargonimn which 
includes the greater number of green-house Geraniums ; it is taken from the tenth 
order and placed here, because, though its flowers have ten filaments, onlj seven 
of them bear anthers, or are perfect. The flower is somewhat irregular. Among 
the varieties of the Pelargonium now cultivated in the United States are the 
following : 
Fairy-queen geranium, striped flowers, large and handsome leaves : Fiery-Jiow 
ered, cordate leaves, black and scarlet flowers : £ aim-scented, leaves deeply five- 
lobed ; flowers dark red, and black : Grandiflorimi, erect stem, little branched ; 
smooth leaves, from five to seven-lobed ; flowers large : Large-bracted, erect stem , 
leaves cordate ; flowers large, white, with some streaks of purple : Frequent-flower- 
ing, or fish, a shrubby, brown stem, with flat, cordate, five-lobed leaves ; red flow- 
ers, with spots of black and deep red : Peppermint-scented, or Velvet-leaved, a 
shrubby stem, much branched ; leaves cordate, five-lubed, soft to the touch like 
velvet ; flowers small, white, and purple : Nutmeg-scented, or fragrant, erect stem, 
much branched ; leaves small, cordate, and three-lobed ; flowers small and pale, 
tinged Avith blue : Royal purple, stem branched ; flat cordate leaves, five-lobed ; 
flowers large, and of a bright purple. The plants of the natural family Geraniaceaa 
are mostly natives of the Cape of Good Hope, a region to which we are indebted 
for many of our finest exotics. 
247. Order Decandria^ ten stamens^ contains the genus Gera- 
nium^ which differs from the Pelargonium in having a regular 
calyx and corolla, and also in producing ten perfect stamens, 
which vary in length, every alternate one being longer ; five 
glands adhere to the base of the five long filaments. We have 
few native species of this plant ; the common Crane's-bill (Ge- 
ranium 7nac'ulatum\ with large, showy, purple flowers, is found 
in meadows during the first summer months. The three gen- 
w^a, Erodium, Pelargonium, and Geranium, were formerly all 
imited ; but the difference in the number of stamens separates 
them, not only in respect to genera, but also in the artificial 
orders. 
248. Order Polyandria^ many stamens. — This order is made 
up of a group of genera which compose the natural order Co- 
LUMNiFER^ of Linuscus ; the stamens are united in the form of a 
column (Fig. 147) ; by Jussieu they were collected into an 
order under the name of Malvaoece (or the mallow family), 
60 called from the genus Malva, The peculiar characteristics 
of the group are, calyx often double / five regular petals / star 
mens indefinite., united hy their filaments into a tube which 
rises like a column in the middle of the flower ; in the center 
of this tube are the styles forming an inner bundle. The 
carpels contain one seed each and are equal in number to the 
Stork's-bill geraninm.— 246. Pelargonium —247. Order Decandria.— 948. Order Polyandria— Mai 
vac*"*! — Camelia. 
