WOOD GERANIUM.
(CRANES-BILL.)
_Geranium maculatum._
THERE are but few flowers of the Cranes-bill family in Canada. The one
most worthy of notice is the Wood Geranium (_Geranium maculatum_). This
is a very ornamental plant: its favourite locality is open grassy
thickets among low bushes, especially those tracts of country known as
Oak-openings, where it often reaches to the height of from 2° to 3°,
throwing out many branches adorned with deep lilac flowers; the
half-opened buds are very lovely. The blossom consists of five petals,
obtuse and slightly indented on their upper margins, and are lined and
delicately veined with purple. The calyx consists of five pointed
sepals; stamens ten; the anthers are of a reddish brown; styles five,
cohering at the top. When the seed is mature these curl up, bearing the
ripe brown seed adhering to the base of each one. The common name
Cranes-bill has been derived from the long grooved and stork-like beak
which supports the stigma. The Greek name of the plant means a Crane.
The whole plant is more or less beset with silvery hairs. The leaves are
divided into about five principal segments; these again are lobed and
cut into sharply pointed irregularly sized teeth. The larger hairy root
leaves are often discoloured with red and purplish blotches, from whence
the specific name (_maculatum_) spotted, has been given by botanists to
this species.
The flower stem is much branched and furnished with leafy bracts; the
principal flowers are on long stalks, usually three springing from a
central branch and again subdividing into smaller branchlets terminating
in buds mostly in threes, on drooping slender pedicels; as the older and
larger blossoms fall off a fresh succession appears on the side
branches, furnishing rather smaller but equally beautiful flowers during
many weeks. Gray gives the blooming season of the Cranes-bill from April
to July, but with us it rarely appears before June, and may be seen all
through July and August.
This Wood Geranium is a beautiful species, and would no doubt repay the
trouble of cultivation. Besides being very ornamental our plant
possesses virtues which are well known to the herbalist as powerful
astringents, which quality has obtained for it the name of ‘_Alum root_’
among the country people, who apply a decoction of the root as a styptic
for wounds; and sweetened, as a gargle for sore throats and ulcerated
mouth: it is also given to young children to correct a lax state of the
system.
Thus our plant is remarkable for its usefulness as well as for its
beauty.
A showy species, with large rose-coloured flowers and much dissected
leaves, may be found on some of the rocky islets in Stoney Lake, Ont.
The slender flower stem is about six inches in height, springing from a
leafy involucre which is cut and divided into many long and narrow
segments; flowers generally from one to three, terminal on the little
bracted-foot-stalks. The seed vessels not so long as in the Wood
Geranium.
Besides the above named we have two smaller species. The well known HERB
ROBERT—_G. Robertianum_ or fœtid geranium—which is said to have been
introduced from Britain, but is by no means uncommon in Canada, in half
cleared woodlands and by waysides attracting the eye by its bright pink
flowers, and elegantly cut leaves, which becomes bright red in the fall
of the year. This pretty species is renowned for its rank and
disagreeable odour when handled.
Another small flowered species, with pale insignificant blossoms is also
common as a weed by road sides and in open woods, probably this is _G.
pusilum_, smaller Cranes-bill; it also resembles the British plant, but
is of too frequent occurrence in remote localities to lead us to suppose
it to be otherwise than a native production of the soil.
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