199
MONSONIA pilosa.
Hairy Monsonia.
M. pilosa, foliis quinquepartito-palmatis: laciniis tri-
partito-pinnatifidis: subtus petiolisque pilosis, pe-
talis dentatis. Willden. enum. 2. 717.
Monsonia pilosa. Hort. sub. lond. p. 153. Link enum
2. p. 199.
Monsonia Filia. Andrews's hot. rep. 276, nec aliorum.
Geranium Monsonia. Thunberg.
Stem suffruticose, branching; branches straggling,
slender, thickly clothed with long white spreading
hairs, as are the petioles, peduncles, and calyx. Leaves
palmately 5-parted or pinnatifid, smooth and shining
on the upper side and hairy underneath; segments 3-
parted, pinnatifid or deeply divided, bluntish, fringed.
Petioles long and slender, with two subulate, membranaceous,
fringed stipules attached to their base.
Peduncle 1-flowered, longer than the leaves. Involucre
of several linear, taper-pointed, fringed bractes, about
half way up the peduncle. Calyx of 5 sepals; sepals
lanceolate, bluntish, with membranaceous margins.
Petals 5, obovate, deeply toothed with five large unequal
teeth, of a pale cream-colour, tinged with red
near the base and at the back: unguis hairy on the
inside. Stamens 15, in five sets, all united at the base:
anthers incumbent: pollen orange-coloured. Germens
villous: aristas hairy. Stigmas 5, blunt, dark purple,
slightly reflexed.
This handsome species is generally known by the
name of M. Filia in the gardens, but it is very dif