ovate, cuspidate. Peduncles 1–4 in. long, 1-flowered, with 2 acuminate bracts about the middle. Flowers large, ¾–1 in. diam., white or pink. Sepals broadly ovate, cuspidate. Petals broad-obovate, entire, much longer than the sepals. Carpels silky-pilose. Seeds very minutely reticulated.—T. Kirk, Students' Fl. 80; Buch. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. vii. t. 13, f. 2.
Chatham Islands: Not uncommon in open places, H. H. Travers! J. D. Enys! November-December.
By far the finest of the New Zealand species. Well characterized by the silvery hoary pubescence, 1-flowered peduncles, large flowers, and minutely reticulated seeds.
5. G. molle, Linn. Sp. 682.—A diffuse or procumbent much-branched annual or perennial, more or less softly pilose in all its parts; stems 6–12 in. long. Radical leaves numerous, on long slender petioles; blade orbicular, 1–2 in. diam., 5–9-lobed to below the middle; lobes obovate or cuneate, irregularly lobed or crenate. Cauline leaves smaller, on shorter petioles, with fewer but deeper divisions. Peduncles shorter than the leaves, 2-flowered. Flowers small, purplish. Sepals broadly ovate, mucronate. Petals deeply notched, barely exceeding the sepals. Carpels usually distinctly marked with transverse wrinkles. Seeds smooth, not reticulated.—Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 40; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 37; T. Kirk, Students' Fl. 81.
Kermadec Islands, North and South Islands, Stewart Island, Chatham Islands.—Abundant throughout, ascending to over 2500ft. in the South Island. Common in Europe, north Africa, and western Asia; and naturalised in other countries.
There can be little doubt that this is introduced, but as it has had a place given to it in previous works on New Zealand plants, and as it is now found in all soils and situations, and would certainly be considered indigenous by a stranger unacquainted with its history, it appears best to retain it in the Flora.
2. PELARGONIUM, L'Herit.
Herbs or shrubs. Leaves opposite or rarely alternate, entire toothed lobed or variously divided. Flowers usually in few- or many-flowered umbels on axillary peduncles, irregular. Sepals 5, the uppermost produced into a short spur adnate to the pedicel. Petals 5 or fewer by abortion, the 2 upper different from the others and usually larger. Disc without glands. Stamens 10, hypogynous, connate at the base, 5–7 (rarely fewer) fertile, the remainder without anthers or rudimentary. Ovary 5-lobed, 5-celled, beaked; beak terminated by 5 short styles, which are longitudinally stigmatose; ovules 2 in each cell. Capsule splitting into 5 carpels with long styles, which roll up elastically; seeds 1 in each carpel.
Species about 180, the whole of which are natives of South Africa except 3 found in North Africa and the Levant, and 2 in Australia and New Zealand.
