220 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[June, 
Geraniums and Pelargoniums. 
The name Geranium is so generally associ¬ 
ated with green-house and window plants, that 
but few are aware we have several -wild Gerani¬ 
ums, and that those exotics which are com¬ 
monly called Geraniums are, botanical- 
ly speaking, not Geraniums at all. The 
most common, as well as the largest, 
of our native species is Geranium mac- 
ulatam, the Common Cranesbill, the 
one shown in the engraving. It is a 
branching perennial herb, about two 
feet high, with rather coarse and cut 
leaves, which, when old, show whitish 
blotches. The regular, light purple 
flowers are about an inch across, and 
are followed by a long beaked fruit, 
which gave rise to the popular name of 
Cranesbill, as well as the scientific one, 
Geranium , which is derived from the 
Greek word for crane; the specific name 
signifies spotted, in reference to the 
markings upon the leaves. This beaked 
fruit is interesting as illustrating one of 
the many methods in which seeds are 
scattered. The fruit consists of five 
pistils, •which are attached to a stem¬ 
like projection or receptacle. When 
the fruit is ripe, the lower portions of 
these pistils, which contain the seed, 
suddenly break away, and by the curl¬ 
ing of their upper portion, throw out 
the seed. The small engravings given 
below show the closed and open 
fruit. The root of this species is 
very astringent, and is used by physi¬ 
cians and in popular medicine. The 
Carolina Geranium (G. Carolinum), is 
not rare in barren soils; it has more 
finely divided foliage, and much small¬ 
er flowers. The Herb Robert {G. Ro- 
berlianum), which grows in shady and 
rocky places, is still more delicate in ap¬ 
pearance, and has a strong and unpleas¬ 
ant odor. Some of the foreign species 
are nowand then found in gardens; 
of these, the Lancaster Geranium (G. ■ 
Lancastriense), is a very pleasing one, it being 
a perfectly hardy, low growing plant, and is 
covered with flowers much like those of our 
common Cranesbill nearly all summer. The 
green-house plants commonly called Geraniums 
are Pelargoniums; they are all tender shrubs, 
or have thick, fleshy 
stems, and their flowers 
are irregular, having 
two of the petals differ¬ 
ing somewhat in size 
and shape from the 
others. At the base of 
the flower there is a sort 
of projection or spur 
from the calyx, and 
all of the stamens are 
not perfect, only seven 
of them usually bearing 
anthers. A great deal 
of fine writing and bad 
temper have of late 
been displayed by florists in the discussion as to 
what are Geraniums, and what Pelargoniums. 
Botanically, there is no doubt of the difference 
between the two, and we have given characters 
sufficient to distinguish them. The name Ge¬ 
ranium has become so thoroughly attached to 
the green-house plants, that it is convenient to 
continue its use as a popular name for the Pelar¬ 
goniums. But when florists, as some do, tell 
us that a part of the Pelargoniums must be 
called Geraniums, and the other Pelargoniums, 
we quite fail to see the force of their claims. 
" ^ I i I » * 
The Chinese Yam. —Recently attempts 
have been made to resuscitate this “ novelty.” 
common cranesbill. —(Geranium maculatum.) 
The whole story is this: The Chinese Yam, 
Dioscorcea Batatas , was introduced E^bout fif¬ 
teen years ago as a new and valuable esculent, 
and a substitute for the potato. It is a vine 
with a handsome foliage, and of vigorous 
growth. The root, which is the edible part, 
runs down from two to four feet, and is ex¬ 
ceedingly brittle. It is difficult to dig, and when 
dug is acceptable merely as a variety. The la¬ 
bor of extracting the roots from the soil will 
prevent it from ever becoming popular, and 
though it has been before the public for so 
many years, and extravagantly advertised, it is 
only to be found in the gardens as a curiosity. 
Plants Growing Upon Insects. 
Many of the troublesome insects are kept in 
check by other insects. Besides the insects 
that are carnivorous in their perfect state, there 
are’others, such as the Ichneumon flies, which 
deposit their eggs in the bodies of grubs or 
larvae, and develop at the expense of the life of 
the individual within whose body they are 
placed. These parasitic insects are friends to 
the cultivator, and there are but few insects 
which are pests to us but have their troubles in 
the form of other insects that are pests to 
them. Besides being preyed upon by insect- 
parasites, there are also plant parasites which 
are destructive to insects. It seems only fair 
that, as there are so many insects destructive to 
plants, there should be some plants fatal to in¬ 
sects. Those plants which are found as para¬ 
sites upon insects and other animals belong to 
that immense order known as fungi. It is a 
minute fungus that proves so destruct¬ 
ive to the silk-worm, and flies and 
wasps are attacked by others; but 
these are minute forms of fungi, and 
appear only as a kind of mould. A 
much larger fungus attacks the white- 
grub, which is the larva of the common 
May-beetle, Lachnosterna quercina. Mr. 
G. W. Weatherby, Mooresville, Mo., 
sends us specimens of this grub,“ some 
of which are alive and natural, and 
others have a kind of plant growing 
out of their heads; there are thousands 
of them in both stages in all of the 
new land.” We give an engraving of 
one of these specimens, in which there 
are two of these growths, one from each 
corner of the mouth. In most cases, 
one of these is much longer than the 
other; in one specimen, both project 
from the same side of the mouth, and 
frequently there is only one, when it 
is longer and thicker than when two 
are present. The longest specimen 
(exclusive of the grub) measured two 
and a quarter inches. The grubs having 
these appendages were dead and much 
shrivelled, and as living ones were sent 
at the same time, we infer that they 
were found in this condition. The 
phenomenon has been noticed in the 
American Entomologist, and by Mr. C. 
V. Riley in his admirable report on the 
Insects of Missouri,—the same thing 
having occurred in Iowa, and in other 
parts of Missouri. The publications 
above cited give a letter from a Vir¬ 
ginia gentleman, who states that it is 
well known in Virginia that a white 
mushroom, poisonous to hogs, is pro¬ 
duced from the white-grub. Our spec¬ 
imens are all of a dull purplish color, 
and whitish at tlie tip; the editors of the 
American Entomologist state that theirs were 
green, which is an unusual color for a fun¬ 
gus. No indications of organs of reproduction 
were observable, and without these it is not 
practicable to determine what the growth is. It 
is to be hoped that the development of this 
vegetable parasite will be watched, and perfect 
specimens procured. Did we know the condi¬ 
tions which produce this fungus, it might be 
made available in the destruction of the white 1 
grub. The larvae of a moth, bearing a similar 
growth, are brought from New Zealand, and 
another is known in Chinese medicine under the 
name of Ilia Tsao Tom Tchom. It consists of a 
grub about one and a half inch long, bearing 
a fungus of about the same length. This is 
said to be so costly, that it is used only in the 
family of the Emperor, where it is administered 
by the agreeable method of adding it to the 
stuffing of a duck, which is roasted and eaten. 
