Volume 3 — PLATE CLXXIII. GERANIUM ROSEUM. Rosy 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.

See Geranium Grandiflorum. Pl. XII. Vol. I.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Geranium foliis inciso-lobatis, tomentosis, lobis crenatis, obtusis; pedunculis multifloris; floribus erectis, consertis, roseis, pentandris; calycibus monophyllis; radice tuberosa.

Geranium with deeply-gashed, lobed, downy leaves, the lobes scolloped and blunt; flower-stems many flowered; the flowers erect, crowded, rose-coloured and with five tips; cups one-leaved; root tuberous.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

1. The Empalement, with its hollow tube cut open.

2. The Chives cut open.

3. The Seed-bud, Shaft, and Summits.

About the year 1794, this species of Geranium was first introduced to the Royal Gardens, Kew, by Mr. Francis Masson, from the Cape of Good Hope. Of all the tuberous kind, this is, certainly, the most specious yet in England; it flowers generally about March, in which month, our drawing was made, from a specimen in the nursery of Mr. J. Colville, King’s Road, Chelsea. Mr. Colville informs us, that the propagation is very difficult, and only to be performed by the root; as the plant does not produce any branches, and that the seeds do not ripen; he keeps it in a mixture of rotten leaves, and sandy peat, in which, it has every appearance of luxuriant health.