Volume 4 — PLATE CCXXII. GERANIUM RADIATUM. Rayed-leaved Geranium.

CLASS XVI. ORDER IV.

MONADELPHIA DECANDRIA. Threads united. Ten Chives.

ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.

Monogyna. Stigmata quinque. Fructus rostratus, penta-coccus.

One Pointal. Five summits. Fruit furnished with long awns, five dry berries.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Geranium foliis sub-obovatis, crassiusculis, integerrimis, radiatis, humi adpressis; calycibus monophyllis, laciniis erectis; floribus pentandris, maximis, luteis; radice tuberosa.

Geranium with leaves nearly obovate, thickish, quite entire, placed in a ray about the stem, and lying on the ground; cups of one leaf, the segments erect; flowers with five fertile chives, very large and yellow; root tuberous.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. The Cup laid open, to shew its hollow structure.

2. The Chives and Pointal, natural size.

3. The Chives spread open, to shew the number and situation of the fertile ones.

4. The Pointal, magnified.

The only plants of this species of Geranium are to be found in the Clapham collection; they were among the last, received by Mr. Hibbert from the Cape, in 1801. To affix any particular period as the exact season of its flowering, would be premature; as, the plant from which our figure was taken, in the month of August, last year, had been kept constantly in the green-house; and, we must presume, as the root arrived nearly dry, the regular season of its flowering must have been materially altered. It appears to flourish in a light sandy soil. The propagation must be from the seeds, or from the root.