Volume 6 — PLATE CCCCXX.

GERANIUM FLORIBUNDUM.

Tuberous Many-flowered Geranium.

CLASS XVI. ORDER IV.

MONADELPHIA DECANDRIA. Threads united. Ten Chives.

ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.

Monogyna. Stigmata quinque. Fructus rostratus pentacoccus.

One Pointal. Five summits. Fruit beaked, five berries.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Geranium, tuberosum, pinnis foliorum oppositis bipartitis, laciniis ellipticis; scapis numerosis ramosis, petalis clavato-linearibus.

Geranium, tuberous, with the pinnæ of the leaves opposite and two-parted, with their segments elliptical; numerous branched flower-stalks, and clavatedly-linear petals.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

Geranium floribundum appears to be not only a nondescript species of the Erodium family of this extensive tribe of plants; but at the same time, a new and brilliant one. Few in number are the species which equal it in beauty: and still more rare are those which can be allowed to surpass it.

It is of extremely humble growth, and its roots are tuberous: from the crowns of which it throws up, in the early part of summer, a considerable number of flowering stems, each adorned with many flowers; whence our specific name of floribundum.

It is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, and prospers with the same treatment as the other dwarf Geraniums; and is propagated like them, by carefully dividing the tubers of its roots.

Our figure was made from the Clapham collection, which it is well known abounds more in this description of plants, than any other existing in this country.