PELARGONIUM (Neo-Lat., from Gk.
Rang, pelt, twos, stork; so called from the resem blance of the capsules to a stork's bill). A genus of plants of the natural order Geraniace.e, includ ing many favorite greenhouse and house plants, to some of which the old generic name Geranium (q.v.) is popularly given. The genus contains about 170 species, smooth or downy perennial herbs or undershrubs, native chiefly of South Africa, a few species being found in Australia. The species in cultivation have become so modified that it is often difficult to determine their origin. The leaves exhibit great variety in form, texture, fragrance, and color. The flowers always adhere to a certain Vire in form. but vary greatly in color and size; they a re always in stalked umbels. arising from the arils of the leaves. or in the stemless kinds from the midst of the leaves. In no genus has the art of the gardener produced more striking results than in this; and the num ber of beautiful hybrids and varieties is very great, some of them excelling in beauty any of the original species. Some species, not possessing much beauty of flower, arc cultivated for the grateful odor of their leaves. The cultivated species are divided into four groups, namely, ivy geraniums, derived from Pelargonium pettatain scarlet, horseshoe, or zonal geraniums, front Pe largwiinni zonalc and P. inquinans; Lady Wash ington geraniums; and rose geraniums. The
horseshoe geraniums often have a horseshoe shaped dark zone on the leaf. The flowers of the Lady Washington varieties are very large and irregular, while the rose-colored or purple flow ers of the rose geraniums are rather small. These last two groups each include a number of differ ent species. Most of the common varieties are largely grown as bed and border plants, their outdoor culture being quite simple. For this purpose the plants are taken from the greenhouse after danger of frost has passed and set out in a well-worked, rich, sandy loam. Water must be liberally supplied during time of flowering; but for no plants is a period of rest more neces sary, and water must then be very sparingly given. Many of the shrubby kinds may be trimmed of leaves and watery shoots, hung up by the' roots in a dry cellar, or covered with hay in a box, in a cool but frost-proof dry loft or garret. Another method is to cut off every leaf before frost comes, and to keep the plants all winter in their pots in a dry, cool room. without watering them. By such means many varieties are successfully cultivated by persons who have no greenhouse. Pelargoniums are commonly propagated by cuttings from the firm shoots,• which root readily.