PELARGONIUM papyraceum.
Paper-flowered StorJcs-bill.
P. papyraceum, caule erecto ramoso, foliis basi cuneatis
5-7-lobis acute dentatis margine undulatis subtus multi-
nerviis, stipulis lanceolatis acutis, pedunculis 2-3-floris,
calycibus reflexis, tubo nectarifero calyce subaequali.
Stem frutescent, erect, branched, thickly clothed with
short hairs: branches short, erect, or but little spreading,
well clothed with leaves, and covered with short spreading
white hairs. Leaves cuneate at the base, 5 to 7-lobed, flat
till within a little space of the edges, which are much undulate,
thinly clothed with hairs on both sides, the upper side
rather glossy, of a pale green colour; underneath strongly
and numerously nerved, the nerves much branched, and
densely hairy: lobes spreading, acute, and sharply toothed
with short rigid teeth, the margins fringed. Petioles a little
flattened on the upper side and rounded on the lower, widened
a little at the base, thickly clothed with short spreading
hairs, as are the peduncles, bractes, calyx, and nectariferous
tube. Stipules small, lanceolate, broad at the base,
taper-pointed, and fringed. Peduncles 2 or 3-flowered. Involucre of 6 or 7 lanceolate, taper-pointed, fringed bractes.
Pedicles nearly 3 times the length of the bractes. Calyx
5-cleft, the segments lanceolate, acute, fringed, the
whole reflexed, or the points of some of them revolute, upper
one tinged with purple. Nectariferous tube about the
length of the calyx, flattened on each side, and a little gibbous
at the base. Petals 5, of a thin texture, paper white;
the two upper ones broadly obovate, very unequal sided,
elegantly marked with a bright purple spot in the centre,
and several short purple lines below the spot: 3 lower ones
g 2