68 
XVIII. GEBANIACEiE 
alternate ones antherless in Er odium, filaments free or united at 
the base ; anthers 2-celled, versatile, in Impatiens cohering round 
the pistil. Ovary free, 5-lobed or in Impatiens oblong ; styles 5 
or in Impatiens none, adnate to a central axis or partially united ; 
stigmas terminal, linear or capitate, in Impatiens sessile and 
minutely 5-toothed ; ovules in each cell solitary, several or 
numerous. Fruit capsular, breaking up when ripe into 5 distinct 
carpels or opening by 5 valves. Seeds few or numerous, attached 
to the central axis of the capsule. — An Order dispersed through 
nearly all temperate and subtropical regions ; rare in Australia. 
Flowers regular. 
Stamens 10, all anther-bearing. 
Leaves simple or pinnately lobed . . . . .1. Geranium. 
Leaves with 3 leaflets . . . . . . .3. Oxalis. 
Stamens 10, only 5 anther-bearing . . . . .2. Erodium. 
Flowers irregular. Stamens 5 4. Impatiens. 
1. GERANIUM. From the Greek geranos, a crane, referring 
to the long-beaked fruit (Crane’s Bill). — Chiefly cold and temper- 
ate regions in the N. Hemisphere, 
Erect, diffuse or procumbent herbs ; joints swollen. Leaves 
opposite, stalked, orbicular and palmately lobed or of triangular 
outline and divided to the base into 3 or 5 pinnatifid segments. 
Flowers 2-sexual, regular, in pairs on axillary stalks. Sepals 5, 
free, ending in a short pointed tip. Petals 5, free, clawed, alter- 
nate with 5 glands. Stamens 10, all anther- bearing, 5 longer 
alternate with 5 shorter ; filaments flattened, united at the base. 
Receptacle prolonged upwards in a persistent, 5-grooved, tapering 
column. Ovary of 5 nearly distinct, 1-celled carpels, whorled round 
and adnate to the base of the column. Styles 5, adnate to the 
column ; stigmas terminal, simple, linear, ultimately diverging. 
As the fruit develops, the column and styles elongate ; when ripe 
the carpels and the lower part of the styles separate from the 
column, the styles coiling upwards with a jerk and ejecting the 
seeds ; styles glabrous on the inner surface. After the seeds have 
been scattered, the persistent calyx, the column, and the curled up 
styles carrying the empty carpels, somewhat resemble a miniature 
chandelier. Seeds, one in each carpel, small, smooth. 
See Kerner’s Nat. Hist, of Plants , ii. 836, for a description of the dispersal 
of the seeds. 
Flowers lf-2 in. diam., blue-purple . . . . 
Flowers § in. diam. or less. 
Petals purple or pink. 
Leaves orbicular, palmately lobed ; segments 
toothed. 
Leaves hairy or pubescent. 
Leaf-segments equal 
Leaf-segments very unequal . 
Leaves glabrous, shining . . . . . 
Leaves triangular, 3-5-parted ; segments pin- 
nately divided 
Petals pink with dark purple base . . . . 
1. G. Wallichianum. 
2. G. nepalense. 
3. G. divaricatum. 
5. G. lucidum. 
4. G. Robertianum. 
6. G. ocellatum. 
