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ORDER HEPTANDRIA. 
HEPTANDRIA. 
The Seventh Order contains the genus Pelargonium, which 
also belongs to the family Geraniae ; this genus includes the 
greater number of green-house Geraniums ; it is taken from the 
tenth order and placed here, because, although its flowers have 
10 filaments, but 7 of them bear anthers; therefore they have 
but 7 perfect stamens. The flower of this genus is somewhat 
irregular. Among the varieties of the Pelargonium now culti- 
vated in the United States, are, 
The Fairy queen geranium, with striped flowers, large and handsome 
leaves. 
The Fiery flowered, with cordate leaves, and black and scarlet flowers. 
The Balm scented, with leaves deeply five lobed, the flowers dark red 
and black. 
The Grandiflorum, has an erect stem, little branched, with smooth leaves 
from five to seven lobed ; as its name implies, the flowers are large. 
The Large bracted, has an erect stem ; leaves cordate or heart-shaped, 
flowers large and white, with some streaks of purple. 
Frequent flowering, or fish , a shrubby, brown stem, with flat, cordate, 
five lobed leaves, and red flowers, with spots of black and deep red. 
• Peppermint scented or Velvet leaved, a shrubby stem, much branched ; 
leaves coidate, five lobed, soft to the touch like velvet, flowers small, white, 
and purple. 
Nutmeg scented or fragrant, an erect stem much branched, leaves small, 
cordate and three lobed, flowers small and pale, tinged with blue. 
Royal purple, stem branched ; flat cordate leaves, five lobed ; flowers 
large and of a bright purple. 
Another genus of the Geranium family is callad Hoarea — this contains 
several varieties, differing chiefly from the Pelargonium, in having a tube- 
rous root, with radical leaves ; most of the species are yellow. The plants 
of the natural family Gerania: are mostly natives of the Cape of Good 
Hope, a region to which we are indebted for many of our finest exotics.* 
DECANDRIA. 
The Tenth Order contains the genus Geranium which dif- 
fers from the Pelargonium, in having a regular calyx and corol- 
la, and also in producing 10 perfect stamens, which vary in 
length, every alternate one being longer ; 5 glands adhere to the 
base of the five long filaments. We have some native species 
of this genus ; the common Crane’s bill (Geranium maculatum,) 
with large, showy, purple flowers, is often found in meadows 
during the first summer months. 
The three families Erodium, Pelargonium, and Geranium, 
were formerly all united in one genus ; but the difference in the 
number of stamens seems decidedly to separate them. 
* This description of geraniums is mostly taken from a work on Horti- 
culture, by the proprietor of the Linna:an garden at Flushing. 
Order Heptandria — Pelargonium — Family of the geraniums — Order De- 
candria. 
