May 26, 1881. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
423 
son’s “ Gerard ” Geranium indicum. It was brought by Mi - . John 
Tradescant. Linnaeus called the genus Geranium, but L’Heritier 
changed it to Pelargonium, as the structure of the flower differs con¬ 
siderably, being irregular, having the usually seven fertile stamens 
united by their filaments, and a long tubular nectary adherent to the 
pedicel ; whereas Geranium is regular, has ten stamens, and no 
tubular nectary, but honey glands instead. He showed drawings to 
illustrate the vast difference between the original type and the latest 
improvement acquired by horticulturists. These began about the 
year 1812 in England, many species having been introduced before 
that date. Thus, before 1732 six species were grown at Eltham. In 
1812,102 species were in England, but after that date experiments by 
crossing began, and were published regularly by Robt. Sweet till 
1830, the improvements being in size and colour, the long narrow 
petals changing to a round Rose-leaf-like form ; veins disappeared, 
and a clear broad mass of colour appearing on the two upper petals. 
The present multitude of forms is now subdivided into groups, such 
as the large-flowered section, the Zonal sectiun, variegated, and 
double-flowering varieties, &c. Amongst the many species and varie¬ 
ties exhibited was P. inquinans, which had given rise to the “ Rose- 
gay ” scarlet forms, several Ivy-leaved white, double, <fcc., the crisped- 
leaved and scented group ; but it appears difficult to trace back the 
origin of the large-flowered kinds to the original species which gave 
rise to it. A plant with pink flowers and variegated foliage, exhi¬ 
bited by Mr. Parker, was remarkable for the great tenacity of its 
petals. This appeared to illustrate the principle of “ compensation,” 
Fig. 94.—CHAT.EGUS COCCINEA. (See page 424.) 
which the lecturer had more than once described, for the pollen was 
very scanty and inefficient, the loss in that direction being counter¬ 
balanced by the firmness and tenacity of the petals. 
The lecturer next commented upon the corollas of Geranium and 
Erodium, which are regular, while that of Pelargonium was irregular. 
He suggested that the latter condition, which was for the most part 
found in axillary flowers and those which are situated to the side 
of plants, while regular flowers are terminal. The irregularity 
has probably been brought about by the visits of insects, and when 
irregular flowers are perpetually fertilised by artificial means they 
not unfrequently reassume their regular character. This is seen in 
Pelargoniums and Gloxinias. With regard to the structure of the 
flower the lecturer entered into details, showing the peculiar diffe¬ 
rences in the methods of fertilisation both in Pelargoniums and in 
true Geraniums. Thus, while in] the common scarlet, and especially 
the paler varieties, such as the pink Christine, the anthers mature 
simultaneously with and stand about the stigmas, so that it fertilises 
itself with great ease : other forms, such as the Oak-leaved or Lemon- 
scented, is strongly “ proterandrous ”— i.e., the anthers mature, shed 
their pollen, and even fall off before the five branches of th < stigma 
are ready to receive the pollen, which they must do from another 
flower. In this instance the antherless filaments retire and hang 
down, while the stigmas now rise up and occupy the exact position 
maintained by the anthers previously. The lecturer then illustrated 
