Tribe IV. BALSAMÍNEÆ. (Balsam Family.) Flowers irregular (5-merous as to the stamens and pistil); the petals and colored sepals fewer in number, deciduous, the larger sepal with a large sac or spur. Glands none. Stamens 5, distinct, short. Fruit a fleshy 5-celled pod (in Impatiens), cells several-seeded. Embryo straight.—Tender and very succulent herbs, with simple leaves and no stipules.
5. Impatiens. Lateral petals unequally 2-lobed. Pod bursting elastically into 5 valves.
1. GERANIUM, Tourn. Cranesbill.
Stamens 10 (sometimes only 5 in n. 3), all with perfect anthers, the 5 longer with glands at their base (alternate with the petals). Styles smooth inside in fruit when they separate from the axis.—Stems forking. Peduncles 1–3-flowered. (An old Greek name from γέρανος, a crane, the long fruit bearing beak thought to resemble the bill of that bird.)
[*] Rootstock perennial.
1. G. maculàtum, L. (Wild Cranesbill.) Stem erect, hairy; leaves about 5-parted, the wedge-shaped divisions lobed and cut at the end, sepals slender-pointed, petals entire, light purple, bearded on the claw (½´ long).—Open woods and fields. April–July.—Leaves somewhat blotched with whitish as they grow old.
[*][*] Root biennial or annual; flowers small.
[+] Leaves ternately much dissected, heavy-scented.
2. G. Robertiànum, L. (Herb Robert.) Sparsely hairy, diffuse, strong-scented, leaves 3-divided or pedately 5-divided, the divisions twice pinnatifid; sepals awned, shorter than the (red-purple) petals; carpels wrinkled; seeds smooth.—Moist woods and shaded ravines; N. Eng. to Mo., and northward. June–Oct. (Eu.)
[+][+] Leaves palmately lobed or dissected.