SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Geranium foliis reniformibus, crenato-dentatis, tomentosis; floribus heptandris, subquaternis, purpureis; caule fruticoso, sub-carnoso.
Geranium with kidney-shaped leaves, between scolloped and toothed at the edges, and downy; flowers with seven fertile tips, grow mostly by fours, and are purple; stem shrubby, and almost fleshy.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. The Empalement cut open, to shew its hollow structure.
2. The Chives and Pointal, natural size.
3. The Threads cut open, to shew their number, as well as the general number of fertile tips, magnified.
4. The Pointal and Seed-buds, magnified.
From the Hort. Cantab. published this year, by the accurate Mr. J. Donn, we learn that this fine species of Geranium was introduced to the Royal Gardens, Kew, about nine years since; yet, till within these two years, it has not been seen in any other collection. Our drawing was made in July 1799, from a plant in the Clapham collection. This Geranium must be treated rather as a dry-stove than as a common greenhouse plant, for it affines much to G. Fulgidum, and a few others, which are inhabitants of the sandy deserts of the more interior parts of Africa, and which require more heat than is proper for those from Table Mountain, or the vicinity of the Cape. It is propagated by cuttings made about the month of March, and placed under a small glass, either in a hotbed, or in the bark bed of the hothouse: it may be increased by the root likewise, and from seed which is sometimes perfected. A compost of cow dung, at least two years old, one part, sea sand one part, and light loam two parts, is the most proper for many of the tenderer sorts of this genus.[Pg 437]
PLATE 108
