The Common Mallow.
Some three species of Geranium (order Geraniaceæ) have already been described among the spring wayside flowers, and these were listed at the commencement of the present chapter as continuing to bloom during the summer; but now we have to note other interesting flowers of this and an allied genus as essentially summer bloomers.
The first of these is the Round-leaved Crane's-bill (Geranium rotundifolium), which rather closely resembles the Dove's-foot Crane's-bill, but is not nearly so plentiful. It is a downy plant, growing from six to twelve inches high, and flowering in June and July. The flowers are usually nearly half an inch across, of a pink colour; and the petals are not notched. This species is represented on [Plate III], Fig. 1.
In dry pastures and on stony wastes we may see the Bloody Crane's-bill (Geranium sanguineum), which, though not common, is very widely distributed in Britain. It has a thick, woody stock; numerous more or less decumbent stems, from one to two feet long, clothed with spreading hairs; and round leaves, divided quite to the base into five or seven deeply-cut segments. The flowers are solitary, dark crimson (occasionally pink) in colour, with hairy sepals terminating in fine points; slightly notched petals about twice as long as the sepals; and ten stamens, five of which are larger, and glandular at the base. This species flowers during July and August.
The Musk Mallow.
The Small-flowered Crane's-bill (G. pusillum) also resembles the Dove's-foot Crane's-bill, but its flowers are usually smaller—about a third of an inch in diameter—and of a pale lilac colour. The stems are prostrate and downy, from six to eighteen inches long; and the leaves roundish and deeply lobed. The sepals terminate in a sharp point, and the petals are notched. This is a very common species, which flowers throughout the summer.
British wild flowers of the Geranium family are divided into two groups, known popularly as the Crane's-bills and the Stork's-bills, the former constituting the genus Geranium, of which several flowers have been described; and the latter forming the genus Erodium. These two groups are sometimes confused by young botanists, but may be easily distinguished by the aid of the following notes:—The flowers of the Crane's-bills are symmetrical, while the petals of the Stork's-bills are rather unequal in size and sometimes deficient. In the former there are ten stamens, five of which are alternately larger, as previously mentioned; while the latter have five perfect stamens, glandular at their bases, and five alternating, abortive ones. Further, in the genus Geranium the persistent styles are straight, while in the Stork's-bills they are twisted spirally.
