Line 1: |
Line 1: |
− | {{Taxobox | + | __NOTOC__{{Plantbox |
− | | name = Geraniums | + | | name = ''Pelargonium'' |
| + | | common_names = Geraniums |
| + | | growth_habit = herbaceous |
| + | | high = ? <!--- 1m (3 ft) --> |
| + | | wide = <!--- 65cm (25 inches) --> |
| + | | origin = ? <!--- Mexico, S America, S Europe, garden, etc --> |
| + | | poisonous = <!--- indicate parts of plants which are known/thought to be poisonous --> |
| + | | lifespan = perennial |
| + | | exposure = ? <!--- full sun, part-sun, semi-shade, shade, indoors, bright filtered (you may list more than 1) --> |
| + | | water = ? <!--- frequent, regular, moderate, drought tolerant, let dry then soak --> |
| + | | features = flowers, fragrance, foliage |
| + | | hardiness = <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc --> |
| + | | bloom = <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for its flowers --> |
| + | | usda_zones = ? <!--- eg. 8-11 --> |
| + | | sunset_zones = <!--- eg. 8, 9, 12-24, not available --> |
| + | | color = IndianRed |
| | image = Pelargonium flower.JPG | | | image = Pelargonium flower.JPG |
− | | image_width = frameless | + | | image_width = 240px <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical --> |
− | | image_caption = ''P. graveolens'' | + | | image_caption = P. graveolens |
− | | regnum = [[Plant]]ae | + | | regnum = Plantae |
− | | divisio = [[Magnoliophyta]] | + | | divisio = Magnoliophyta |
− | | classis = [[Magnoliopsida]] | + | | classis = Magnoliopsida |
− | | ordo = [[Geraniales]] | + | | ordo = Geraniales |
− | | familia = [[Geraniaceae]] | + | | familia = Geraniaceae |
− | | genus = '''''Pelargonium''''' | + | | genus = Pelargonium |
− | | genus_authority = [[Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle|L'Hér.]]
| |
− | | subdivision_ranks = [[Species]]
| |
− | | subdivision =
| |
− | About 200:<br>
| |
− | ''[[Pelargonium graveolens]]''<br>
| |
− | ''[[Pelargonium radens]]''<br>
| |
− | ''[[Pelargonium scabrum]]''<br>
| |
− | ''[[Pelargonium cotyledonis]]''<br>
| |
− | ''[[Pelargonium triste]]''<br>
| |
− | et al.
| |
| }} | | }} |
| + | {{Inc| |
| + | Pelargonium (stork, because the fruit is long and slender like a |
| + | stork's bill). Geraniaceae. Geranium of gardens. Pelargonium. Stork's |
| + | Bill. Many kinds of pot-plants, popular for indoors and for bedding; |
| + | and some of them much planted permanently out-of-doors in California |
| + | and elsewhere; flowers showy. |
| + | |
| + | Plants of various habit: some are fleshy and tuberous and are treated |
| + | as succulents, but those commonly grown are erect or trailing leafy |
| + | herbs or woody below (sometimes shrubby) with sts. somewhat soft and |
| + | succulent or small and firm: lvs. mostly opposite, entire to |
| + | decompound, stipulate, the foliage often strong- scented: infl. |
| + | mostly umbel-like, on axillary peduncles; fls. irregular, the petals |
| + | 5 (rarely fewer by abortion), the 2 upper usually larger and more |
| + | prominently colored, the lower mostly narrow and rarely very small, |
| + | the colors pink, red, purple, white, sometimes yellow, often |
| + | attractively blotched or veined; calyx 5-parted (or the sepals said |
| + | to be connate at base), the uppermost segm. produced at base into a |
| + | slender nectar-bearing tube or spur adnate to the pedicel; stamens |
| + | 10, of which 7 or less are anther-bearing and fertile: fr. of 5 |
| + | valves, each 1-seeded and separating from the beaklike apex mostly by |
| + | coiling and more or less hygro metrically.—Nearly all the |
| + | pelargoniums are from S. Afr. All the species mentioned in this |
| + | article are from that region, unless otherwise stated. Harvey, in |
| + | Vol. I of Harvey & Sender's Flora Capensis (1859-60), admits |
| + | 163 species; and his descriptions are followed closely in the |
| + | characterizations of species given below. Knuth, the most recent |
| + | monographer (in Engler's Pflanzen- reich, IV. 129, 1912), admits 232 |
| + | species and very many well-marked hybrids. Pelargonium is |
| + | distinguished from the genus Geranium by technical characters. In |
| + | most cases, the fls. of Geranium are regular, but those of |
| + | Pelargonium are irregular, the 2 upper petals differing from the |
| + | others in size and shape and often in coloring. The most constant |
| + | difference between the two genera is the presence in Pelargonium of a |
| + | nectar-tube, extending from the base of one of the sepals and |
| + | adherent to the side of the calyx-tube or pedicel. This tube is not |
| + | seen by the casual observer, but it may be discovered by making a |
| + | longitudinal section of the fl. and pedicel. |
| + | |
| + | The person who wishes to study the contemporaneous evolution of |
| + | plants may find his heart's desire in Pelargonium. With great numbers |
| + | of species and many of them variable and confusing in a wild state, |
| + | with plant breeding in many places and continued through two |
| + | centuries, and with a large special literature, the genus offers |
| + | exceptional advantages and perplexities to the student. Most of the |
| + | species early came into cultivation by the English and Dutch, the |
| + | South African plants forming at one time almost a separate department |
| + | of horticultural knowledge. P. cucullatum, the dominant parent in the |
| + | florist's pelargoniums, was known in England as early as 1690. The |
| + | two originals of the race of zonal or bedding geraniums were |
| + | introduced into England in 1710 and 1714. Early in that century, a |
| + | half-dozen species were grown at Eltham, in the famous garden of |
| + | James Sherard, and these were pictured in 1732 in Dillenius account |
| + | of that garden, "Hortus Elthamensis," a sumptuously illustrated work |
| + | in quarto. Even at that time, P. inquinans had varied markedly (see |
| + | Fig. 2836).in his "Species Plantarum," 1753, Linnaeus . described the |
| + | few species which he knew (about twenty-five) under the genus |
| + | Geranium. In 1787, L'Heritier founded the genus Pelargonium, and |
| + | transferred many of the Linnaean species. L'Heritier's work |
| + | |
| + | "Geraniplogia," a quarto, appeared in Paris in 1787 to 1788, with |
| + | forty-four full- page plates. Recently Kuntze has revived the pre- |
| + | Linnaean name Geraniospermum (1736) for this genus, but it is not |
| + | likely to find acceptance. |
| + | |
| + | Early in the nineteenth century, many species were in cultivation in |
| + | Europe, and experiments in hybridizing and breeding became common. |
| + | There appears to have been something like a geranium craze. The |
| + | experiments seem to have been confined largely to the development of |
| + | the show or fancy pelargoniums, as greenhouse subjects, for bedding |
| + | plants had not reached their present popularity. The geranium |
| + | interest seems to have culminated in Robert Sweet's noble work on |
| + | |
| + | "Geraniaceae," published in five volumes in London, 1820 to 1830, |
| + | containing 500 well-executed colored plates of geraniaceous plants. |
| + | At that time many distinct garden hybrids were in cultivation, and to |
| + | these Sweet gave Latin botanical names. His fifth volume is devoted |
| + | chiefly to garden forms of the show pelargonium type, to which the |
| + | general class name Domes- ticum is given in the following sketch. The |
| + | development of the zonal or bedding geraniums had begun in Sweet's |
| + | time, and he includes them in his pictures, but the larger part of |
| + | their evolution is subsequent to his history. Various small works on |
| + | pelargonium have appeared. De Jonghe's "Traite Me'thodique de la |
| + | |
| + | Culture du Pelargonium," Brussels, 1844, contains good |
| + | bibliographical and cultural data. |
| + | |
| + | Few classes of plants should have more interest to the amateur and |
| + | fancier because the species are numerous and varied, the colors |
| + | mostly very attractive, the habit of the plant interesting, and the |
| + | foliage often with pleasing fragrance; yet, excluding the common |
| + | window and bedding geraniums of the P. zonale and P. inquinans type |
| + | and the Lady Washington or Show types, they are very little known to |
| + | gardeners. A cool greenhouse could be made to yield very interesting |
| + | subjects in the species here described and others that may be secured |
| + | from collectors in the regions where they grow. |
| + | |
| + | Most of the cultivated forms of pelargonium may be grouped into four |
| + | general horticultural classes: |
| + | |
| + | I. The zonal, horseshoe, fish, or bedding types, known to gardeners |
| + | as "geraniums." They comprise a mongrel class, designated as the |
| + | Hortorum class This race seems to be derived from P. zonale and P. |
| + | inquinans. These two species were made by Linnaeus in 1753, but he |
| + | founded them on descriptions in earlier works rather than directly on |
| + | the plants. In America, the zonal geraniums are very popular, for |
| + | they develop their colors well in the bright climate. They are |
| + | popular in all countries, however. They probably stand closer to the |
| + | lives of a great number of persons than any other ornamental plant. |
| + | If a window or a garden can have but one plant, that plant is likely |
| + | to be a geranium. The old race of large-flowered and large-clustered |
| + | geraniums was known as "nosegay geraniums," because they were |
| + | bouquet-like, but this term is not known in America. Another race has |
| + | been developed for its zone marked leaves. There is also a race of |
| + | double-flowered zonals, which have appeared chiefly since 1860. The |
| + | very full double and close-clustered forms lose much of the grace and |
| + | charm of the single types. Some of them are little better, to a |
| + | sensitive eye, than balls of colored paper. In the development of the |
| + | individual flower of the geranium, there have been two ideals—the |
| + | English ideal for a circular flower with the petals broadened and |
| + | overlapping, and the continental ideal with a somewhat two-lipped |
| + | flower and the petals well separated. In the "Gardeners' Chronicle" |
| + | in 1841, p. 644, the proper form is set forth in an illustration, and |
| + | this is contrasted with the "original form;" the picture is |
| + | reproduced, somewhat smaller, in Fig. 2837. "The long, narrow, flimsy |
| + | petals of the old varieties," the writing says, "moved by every |
| + | breath of wind, and separated to their very base by broad open |
| + | spaces, have been succeeded by the beautiful compact flowers of the |
| + | present day, with broad stout petals so entirely overlaying each |
| + | other as to leave scarcely an indentation in the outline of the |
| + | flower; while the coarseness which prevailed in the larger of the old |
| + | sorts is replaced by a firmer substance, and a far more delicate |
| + | texture." Fig. 2838 shows contrasting ideals, although the picture |
| + | does not represent the extremes. |
| + | |
| + | In more recent years a French type has appeared under the name of |
| + | "gros bois," or "large-wood" race. It is characterized as follows by |
| + | Dauthenay: umbels ordinarily 4 to 5 inches in diameter: flowers very |
| + | large; petals roundish, or sometimes triangular, the limb always very |
| + | large and giving the corolla a remarkably round contour: leaves very |
| + | large, thick and coriaceous, plane or incurved, more or less |
| + | indented, strongly nerved, their diameter averaging about 5 inches, |
| + | pedicels large and short: peduncles large, rigid, and projecting |
| + | beyond the foliage: wood soft, fleshy, very large, often 1 1/2 inches |
| + | around. To this type Dauthenay refers the Bruant geraniums, dating |
| + | from 1882. A special handbook is devoted to these plants: Dauthenay, |
| + | |
| + | "Les Geraniums," Paris, 1897. |
| + | |
| + | II. The ivy-leaved geraniums, products largely of Pelargonium |
| + | peltatum (Fig. 2839). The species is said to have been introduced |
| + | into England in 1701. It is a weak and straggling plant, used mostly |
| + | in vases, hanging-baskets, and other places in which an overhanging |
| + | subject is desired. The foliage is thick and shiny, slightly peltate |
| + | and prominently angle-lobed, and the pink or reddish two-lipped |
| + | flowers are always admired. Much-improved and double forms are now in |
| + | commerce. |
| | | |
− | '''''Pelargonium''''' is a [[genus]] of [[flowering plant]]s which includes about 200 [[species]] of [[perennial plant|perennial]], [[succulent plant|succulent]], and [[shrub]] [[plant]]s, commonly known as '''geraniums'''. Confusingly, ''Geranium'' is the correct botanical name of the separate genus which contains the related [[Cranesbill]]s. Both genera are in the Family [[Geraniaceae]]. [[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]] originally included all the species in one genus, ''Geranium'', but they were later separated into two genera by [[Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle|Charles L’Héritier]] in [[1789]]. Gardeners sometimes refer to the members of Genus ''Pelargonium'' as "pelargoniums" in order to avoid the confusion, but the older common name "geranium" is still in regular use.
| + | III. The "show" or fancy type is known to gardeners as "pelargonium," |
| + | and in this country also as Lady Washington geraniums (Fig. 2845). |
| + | These plants are very popular in Europe, being grown in numerous |
| + | varieties. They are prominent at the exhibitions. Because of the hot |
| + | trying summer climate, these plants are of very secondary importance |
| + | in America, although there are many gardeners who succeed well with |
| + | them. This race of pelargoniums seems to have descended chiefly from |
| + | P. cucullatum, although P. angulosum may be nearly equally concerned |
| + | in it. P. grandiflorum is also thought to have been a formative |
| + | parent. It is probable that two or three other species are concerned |
| + | in the evolution. In fact, the late Shirley Hibbard once wrote (G.C., |
| + | July 3, 1880) that "it must be evident to every cultivator of these |
| + | flowers that the blood of a score or so of species is mingled in |
| + | them." This marked garden race, which represents no single wild |
| + | species, is designated as the Domesticum group. |
| | | |
− | ==History and use==
| + | IV. Various scented-leaved geraniums, known mostly as "rose |
− | The first species of ''Pelargonium'' known to be cultivated was ''Pelargonium triste'', a native of [[South Africa]]. It was probably brought to the [[botanical garden]] in [[Leiden]] before [[1600]] on ships which stopped at the [[Cape of Good Hope]]. In [[1631]], the English gardener, [[John Tradescant the elder]], bought seeds from [[Rene Morin]] in [[Paris]] and introduced the plant to [[England]]. The name ''Pelargonium'' was introduced by [[Johannes Burman]] in [[1738]], from Greek πελαργός pelargos = "[[stork]]", because part of the flower looked like a stork's beak. | + | geraniums." These are of several species, with then hybrids and |
| + | derivatives. The common rose geraniums are nearest P. graveolens and |
| + | P. Radula. The nutmeg geranium is P. odoratissimum or P. fragrans. |
| + | Aside from the above groups there are several species which appear |
| + | sporadically in -the trade, as P. tomen- tosum, P. echinatum, P. |
| + | triste, P. quinquevulnerum, P. fulgidum, and P. quercifolium or the |
| + | derivatives of them. Few great collections of pelargonium species and |
| + | varieties have been made in this country, and this is much to be |
| + | regretted. |
| | | |
− | Other than grown for their beauty, species of Pelargonium such as ''[[Pelargonium graveolens|P. graveolens]]'' are important in the [[perfume]] industry and are cultivated and [[distillation|distilled]] for its scent. Although scented Pelargonium exist which have smells of [[citrus]], [[Mentha|mint]], or various [[fruits]], the varieties with [[rose]] scents are most commercially important. Pelargonium distillates and [[Absolute (substance)|absolutes]], commonly known as "scented geranium oil" are sometimes used to supplement or adulterate expensive [[rose oil]]s.
| + | Culture of zonal geraniums. (C. W. Ward.) |
| | | |
− | ''Pelargonium'' species are used as food plants by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] species including [[Angle Shades]].
| + | While the general florist may consider geranium- culture the easiest |
| + | of all gardening, the fact remains that it is as necessary to observe |
| + | the requirements of the geranium as it is to observe the requirements |
| + | of any other plant; in order to succeed and produce the best effects |
| + | attainable. While it is true that the geranium will grow and make a |
| + | good showing with comparatively little care, there is as much |
| + | difference between a skilfully grown geranium plant and one |
| + | carelessly grown as there is between a fancy and a common rose or |
| + | carnation. |
| | | |
− | ''Pelargoniums '' are believed to deter mosquitoes.
| + | To secure the best results it is necessary to propagate from |
| + | perfectly healthy stock. The dangers of over- propagation are as |
| + | great with the geranium as with most other plants. To keep most |
| + | varieties in good health it is necessary to plant the stock intended |
| + | for propagation in the field and to propagate either from the |
| + | field-grown wood in August or early September, or to lift the plants |
| + | in the month of September and plant them on benches in the |
| + | greenhouse, where they will become established and will maintain a |
| + | vigorous constitution throughout the winter season. The propagation |
| + | from field-grown wood is far less successful than from wood grown |
| + | inside, and when the field-grown cuttings are placed in sand, a large |
| + | percentage of them is likely to damp-off, especially if there has |
| + | been a comparatively abundant rainfall in the month of July. The best |
| + | method that the writer has found for striking the field- grown |
| + | cuttings is to put them in 2-inch pots, using a light sandy soil free |
| + | from all manure and chemicals, and to place the pots in the full |
| + | sunlight either in a coolhouse or a frame. These cuttings must be |
| + | kept on the dry side until the calluses have been well formed, |
| + | although they should not be allowed to shrivel at any time. If the |
| + | cuttings show signs of shriveling, a light syringing is preferable to |
| + | a heavy watering. After the roots have started, the treatment of the |
| + | plants is the same as if the cuttings had been rooted in the sand and |
| + | repotted. The writer contiders wood grown inside superior to |
| + | field-grown wood, as the cuttings are much shorter-jointed; most of |
| + | them can be taken from the plant with a heel and 95 to 100 per cent |
| + | of them will root in sand in the ordinary cutting-bench. |
| | | |
| + | A good temperature for the geranium propagating- house is 56° to 60°, |
| + | with a bottom heat of 65° to 60*. While the cuttings are in the sand |
| + | and before they are rooted, care must be taken about keeping them top |
| + | moist for fear of "damping-off," or what geranium- growers know as |
| + | "black-rot." As soon as the cutting is thoroughly callused and begins |
| + | to emit roots, it should be potted up at once. The best soil for |
| + | geraniums, according to the writer's experience, is a firm pliable |
| + | clay loam; this is best if used absolutely without any manure, |
| + | especially fresh manure. After potting the cuttings they should be |
| + | lightly watered and shaded for a day or so if the sun is extremely |
| + | hot, until the roots take hold and the foliage fills up and the stems |
| + | begin to look plump. The geranium should not be grown at any time in |
| + | its young state in a soil that is too rich, and care must also be |
| + | taken that the plants are not kept too wet. |
| | | |
− | Garden geranium (''Pelargonium x hortorum''; [[syn.]] ''Pelargonium zonale'') is one of the most common ornamental potted-plants, with over 200 varieties.
| + | The geranium is subject to few diseases, and so far as the writer |
| + | has been able to observe these diseases are brought on by improper |
| + | treatment, such as having too much fresh rank manure in the soil or |
| + | keeping the plants too wet. Too much strong plant-food in the earth |
| + | combined with too much moisture induces a condition of the leaves |
| + | ordinarily called "spot." It usually appears in the hottest weather |
| + | or immediately after extreme heat accompanied by copious showers or |
| + | rains. |
| | | |
− | In 1988 the flower was described and illustrated in a comprehensive 3-volume work ''Pelargoniums of Southern Africa'' by [[Ellaphie Ward-Hilhorst]] with van der Walt and Vorster. | + | Excellent specimen geranium plants may be grown in pots, especially |
| + | of some of the newer French and English round-flowered varieties. In |
| + | order to produce the best results, choose young vigorous plants that |
| + | have been propagated either in the latter part of August or the |
| + | forepart of September, and that have shown a disposition to take hold |
| + | immediately, both in rooting and in starting to grow after being |
| + | potted. The soil should not be too rich, and it is best to start with |
| + | the plant in a rather small pot, say 2 1/2 inches, and proceed onward |
| + | with light shifts,—that is, shifting the plant from a 2 1/2-inch to a |
| + | 3 1/2-inch pot, and so on, letting the sizes increase an inch at each |
| + | shift until a 7-, 8-, or 9-inch pot is reached, which will usually be |
| + | large enough to flower the finest specimens. Whenever shifting the |
| + | geranium, be sure to pot firmly, as a firm soil produces a |
| + | short-jointed stocky growth, and far more bloom than a loose or |
| + | over-rich soil. When the plants reach a 5- or 6-inch pot they may be |
| + | regularly fed with manure- water. The most critical time for these |
| + | specimen geraniums will be in the months of July, August, and |
| + | September; in these periods exposure to intense sunshine should be |
| + | avoided. Too much water and a close temperature are always |
| + | detrimental to the geranium. Syringing the foliage frequently to keep |
| + | down the temperature is also injurious. If these plants are kept |
| + | under glass, a light shading or stripping upon the glass is |
| + | beneficial. Probably the best position for such plants in these three |
| + | extreme months is on the north side of a row of trees, some distance |
| + | away from the trees, where the plants will have the benefit of the |
| + | subdued shading of the foliage. If kept under glass and |
| + | shaded,abundant ventilation should always be provided. As the winter |
| + | approaches, a night temperature of 60° and day temperature of 70° to |
| + | 75°; with plenty of ventilation in the daytime, especially in bright |
| + | weather, seem best to suit the plants. Syringing ruins the flowers, |
| + | and too much moisture either in the pot or upon the foliage causes |
| + | the spotting of the leaves known as "dropsy." In planting the |
| + | geranium in the field or in beds, always avoid an over-rich soil. The |
| + | earth should be in good condition and fertile, but must not be loaded |
| + | with either chemical or animal fertilizer. Too much water at any |
| + | period during the hot weather produces a rank growth, reduces the |
| + | quantity of bloom and in most instances induces the spotted foliage |
| + | to appear. |
| | | |
− | ==Cultivars==
| + | Another disease, which is sometimes serious, especially in extremely |
− | Species of ''Pelargonium'' are indigenous to Southern Africa and are drought and heat tolerant, and can tolerate only minor frosts. Pelargoniums are extremely popular [[garden]] plants, grown as annuals in temperate climates, and thousands of ornamental [[cultivar]]s have been developed from about 20 of the species.
| + | hot seasons accompanied with a superabundance of moisture, is |
− | *'''Zonal''' varieties, also known as ''P.'' ×''hortorum'', are mainly derived from ''P. zonale'' and ''P. inquinans''.
| + | "stem-rot." This frequently attacks imported stock. It is most |
− | *'''Ivy-leaved''' varieties are mainly derived from ''P. peltatum''.
| + | serious in intensely hot seasons; the entire plant turns black and |
− | *'''Regal''' varieties, also known as French geraniums or ''P.'' × ''domesticum'' are mainly derived from ''P. cucullatum'' and ''P. grandiflorum''.
| + | fades and withers away. The stem-rot occurs in varieties that have |
− | *'''Scented-leaf''' varieties are derived from a great number of species, amongst others ''P. graveolens''.
| + | been very heavily propagated. |
| | | |
− | ==Structural variations==
| + | The insects that affect the geranium are also comparatively few. The |
| + | red-spider is sometimes a serious pest in summer and is difficult to |
| + | get rid of when it is once well established. The only method is to |
| + | syringe the plants with an extremely fine spray, and also to pick off |
| + | the leaves that are seriously affected and burn them. The green-fly |
| + | is also troublesome at times, but is easily managed with the ordinary |
| + | fumigation of tobacco. There is a small caterpillar that eats the |
| + | foliage and sometimes proves a serious pest. If one can induce a few |
| + | ground sparrows or any of the warblers, or even English sparrows, to |
| + | make their home about the greenhouse, they will put a speedy end to |
| + | these caterpillars. Another remedy is to go over the plants carefully |
| + | and to pick the caterpillars off and destroy them. This is tedious, |
| + | as it must be done frequently. |
| | | |
− | Pelargonium [[Leaf|leaves]] are usually alternate, and [[leaf shape|palmately]] lobed or [[pinnate]], often on long stalks, and sometimes with light or dark patterns.
| + | In the way of bedding geraniums, as a rule the Bruant section |
− | The erect stems bear five-petaled [[flower]]s in [[umbel]]-like clusters called [[pseudoumbel]]s. The shapes of the flowers have been bred to a variety ranging star-shaped to funnel-shaped, and colors include white, pink, red, orange-red, fuchsia to deep purple.
| + | produces the best results, but there are a number of English and |
| + | French varieties that do especially well in our hot climate. The |
| + | greatest difficulty in successful geranium-culture in America is the |
| + | intense heat of the summer months, chiefly July and August. Some |
| + | varieties withstand the heat better than others. |
| | | |
− | In early 2006 a long-awaited yellow-flowered variety was launched. Called the Guernsey Flair, it was supplied exclusively to the television shopping channel QVC in the UK, and all available plants were sold within a few minutes. [http://www.begs.org.uk/guernsey.html See photo of yellow geranium.] The flower has a much yellower hue than the cream-colored varieties which some developers had called yellow previously.
| + | Show pelargoniums. (T. D. Hatfield.) |
| | | |
− | Horticultural pelargoniums (as opposed to botanical, the wild 'species') fall into six major groups, with zonals subdivided further: | + | What are known as show pelargoniums have enjoyed a long popularity. |
| + | By the general public, and by old people especially, they are known |
| + | as Lady Washington geraniums. They are not so commonly grown as the |
| + | so-called geraniums, chiefly on account of their limited season of |
| + | bloom and the fact that they cannot endure our hot midsummer suns. |
| + | Through the greater part of the summer they are liable to be |
| + | neglected. They also require different treatment from geraniums, and |
| + | — if skill there be — more skill in cultivation. |
| + | |
| + | At the end of the blooming season, they require rest, — a season of |
| + | ripening the growth already made. At this time very little water will |
| + | be needed, and they may be stood out in the full sun. Only the old |
| + | flower-stems may be removed. In no sense should they be cut back at |
| + | this time, neither should water enough be given to encourage new |
| + | growth. All the leaves should stay on until they naturally turn |
| + | yellow with age, thus securing a thoroughly ripened growth. In |
| + | September, one may prune them into shape, sometimes rather severely, |
| + | but in any case cut out all weak and soft shoots. They should then be |
| + | shaken out and repotted in a light compost, not rich, into the |
| + | smallest-sized pots that will hold them, for the process of growing |
| + | them on has to be gone over every season. After potting, a good |
| + | soaking will be necessary, and they may be placed in a well-lighted |
| + | coldframe. There is no need to keep them close; the stimulation of |
| + | water, and the slight protection of a frame are usually enough to |
| + | start them into new growth. No forcing will ever be needed at any |
| + | season, and if the grower wished, he might keep them in a cold- frame |
| + | until very late in the season, so long as adequate protection against |
| + | frost is afforded. They are at their best in May, and to have them in |
| + | good condition, one may grow them slowly in a house averaging about |
| + | 50° night temperature (slightly less in midwinter), from October |
| + | onward. |
| + | |
| + | After the turn of the days—in January—repot them, using now a richer |
| + | compost. Give a fairly good shift, depending in part on the size of |
| + | plants desired, the vigor they show, and the difference in varieties. |
| + | If wanted to bloom in April or, as some florists might, at Easter, |
| + | they should have been potted at once—in late August or September—into |
| + | the size they should bloom in,—a medium size, probably the same as |
| + | they had lately occupied, and have been taken indoors to grow on |
| + | continuously. But for display in May and June, they are potted again |
| + | in January, and some plants may be given another shift when extra |
| + | vigor or the possible need of a few extra-large specimens demand it. |
| + | They will need careful stopping. Some rubbing out of weak shoots, |
| + | when they break abundantly, will help those that remain, and one may |
| + | even have to do a little pruning. Stopping, however, must be |
| + | discontinued as soon as the flowering stems begin to show, which is |
| + | about the end of February in the writer's practice. These stems can |
| + | be distinguished easily by a slightly different manner of growth. Up |
| + | to this time the plants may be allowed to grow naturally; but if the |
| + | gardener wants trained specimens he must begin to bend them as he |
| + | wishes them to grow, as their growth speedily hardens and the plant |
| + | will readily take and keep the form to which it is shaped. |
| + | |
| + | Water should be given sparingly through the dead of winter. February |
| + | and March are the months when the most growth is made, and at this |
| + | time one may stimulate them materially by the judicious use of |
| + | artificial manures, which may be continued, if necessary, until they |
| + | come into bloom. They are much subject to the attacks of green-fly |
| + | and red-spider; and as the foliage is fairly tender and liable to |
| + | injury from tobacco smoke, reliance must be placed on fluid |
| + | insecticides almost wholly. The blooming season is very much |
| + | lengthened by giving a slight degree of shade. |
| + | |
| + | The best time to take cuttings is soon after the flowering season. |
| + | Often toward the last of the season, the plants make a few "growing" |
| + | shoots, and these may be taken; but off and on during the summer one |
| + | can get cuttings, and any time until August will do. Cuttings taken |
| + | in winter-time with a heel make pretty little plants in 4- or 5-inch |
| + | pots without stopping. Cuttings taken at the usual time and grown in |
| + | 6- or 7- inch pots come in handy in grouping for the front lines. It |
| + | is necessary to raise a few plants every season to replace older |
| + | plants which have grown too large. |
| + | |
| + | New varieties are raised from seed, which is freely produced. In |
| + | hybridizing it does not appear that handpollination has any effect, |
| + | as the seedlings seldom show any particular affinity to either |
| + | parent. |
| + | |
| + | Index. |
| + | anguloeum, 20. filipendulifolium, 1. odoratissimum, 15, 16. |
| + | artemisaefolium, 5. fragrans, 16. odoratum, 31. |
| + | artemisioides, 5. fulgidum, 3. pastinacaefolium, 1. |
| + | betulinum, 17. glabrum, 7. peltatum, 7, |
| + | capitatum, 23. grandiflorum, 8. quercifolium, 25. |
| + | clypeatum, 7. graveolens, 26. quinquevulnerum, 2. |
| + | cordatum, 18. hederaefolium, 7. Radula, 28. |
| + | crispum, 30. hispidum, 27. revolutum, 28. |
| + | cucullatum, 19. hortorum, 13. scutatum, 7. |
| + | daucifolium, 1 inquinana, 12. Thorncroftii, 10. |
| + | denticulatum, 29. lateripes, 7. . tomentosum, 22. |
| + | domesticum,21 latifolium,30 transvaelense,10. |
| + | Drummondii, 23. laxatum, 1. triste, 1. |
| + | echinatum, 14. Limoneum, 31. villosum,1 |
| + | Endlicherianum, 6. multibracteatum 9. vitifolium, 24. |
| + | erectum, 16. multifidum, 28. sonale, 11. |
| + | exstipulatum, 4. |
| + | |
| + | I. Lvs. on the pinnate order, although sometimes entire, usually |
| + | pinnately lobed or compound. (Nos. 1-5). |
| + | |
| + | Any number of Latin-formed names of Pelargonium may appear in the |
| + | trade, for the hybrids and varieties are numerous and not always |
| + | readily referable to the species as forms or varieties.—P. |
| + | Blandfordianum, Sweet {P. graveolens x P. echinatum). A good grower, |
| + | shrubby, the branches roughish pubescent: lvs. flat, 7- lobed, the |
| + | lower lobes deeply lobed again, all bluntly toothed, strong-scented: |
| + | fls. white or pale blush, the upper petals with 2 red spots. G.M. |
| + | 54:626.—P. brevipetalum, N. E. Br. equals Polycephalum-P.Cotyledonis, L'Her. Lvs evergreen at base of plant, cordate, 3in. across, entire or nearly so, whitish beneath wrinkled above: fls on scape-like peduncles above the lvs.2/4 in across, white. |
| + | |
| + | St. Helena. Requires little heat. G. 35:235.—P. inxquilobum. Mast. |
| + | Allied to P. multibracteatum. Pilose: lvs. 3-lobed, the terminal lobe |
| + | ovate-lanceolate and again lobed in middle, margins toothed: fls. |
| + | greenish yellow with purple in base. Trop. Afr. Perhaps same as P. |
| + | Fischeri, Engl.—P. luteolum, N. E. Br. A very recent species from S. |
| + | Afr.: herb with bulbous root- stock: lvs. 4 or 5, all radical, twice |
| + | ternately divided, 1/2-1 1/4 in. long and broad, the ultimate segms. |
| + | linear: petals nearly 1/2in. long, pale yellow with 2 red lines at |
| + | base.—P. polycephalum, E. Mey. (P. brevipetalum, N. E. Br.), St. |
| + | thick and fleshy, ovoid, rising very little above the ground, |
| + | short-branched at top: lvs. in a rosette, bipinnately divided, |
| + | ovate-oblong in outline, thick and fleshy; pinnae 5 or 6 pairs, |
| + | pinnatisect: fls. pale yellow, the petals shorter than sepals. Cape |
| + | Colony.—P. roseum, Hort., is a name of no botanical standing, applied |
| + | to some of the common forms of rose geranium of the P. Radula group.{{SCH}} |
| + | }} |
| + | |
| + | ==Cultivation== |
| + | {{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line --> |
| + | |
| + | ===Propagation=== |
| + | {{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line --> |
| + | |
| + | ===Pests and diseases=== |
| + | {{edit-pests}}<!--- Type pest/disease info below this line, then delete this entire line --> |
| + | |
| + | ==Varieties== |
| + | About 200{{wp}}:<br> |
| + | ''[[Pelargonium cotyledonis]]''<br> |
| + | ''[[Pelargonium drummondii]]''<br> |
| + | ''[[Pelargonium graveolens]]''<br> |
| + | ''[[Pelargonium insularis]]''<br> |
| + | ''[[Pelargonium littorale]]''<br> |
| + | ''[[Pelargonium radens]]''<br> |
| + | ''[[Pelargonium scabrum]]''<br> |
| + | ''[[Pelargonium sidoides]]''<br> |
| + | ''[[Pelargonium triste]]'' |
| + | |
| + | Horticultural pelargoniums (as opposed to botanical, the wild 'species') fall into six major groups, with zonals subdivided further{{wp}}: |
| * Angel | | * Angel |
| * Ivy-leaved = hanging | | * Ivy-leaved = hanging |
Line 74: |
Line 512: |
| *** Parfum-leaved | | *** Parfum-leaved |
| | | |
− | ==Image gallery== | + | ==Gallery== |
| + | {{photo-sources}}<!-- remove this line if there are already 3 or more photos in the gallery --> |
| + | |
| <gallery> | | <gallery> |
| Image:Pelargonium graveolens 2.jpg| ''P. graveolum'' | | Image:Pelargonium graveolens 2.jpg| ''P. graveolum'' |
Line 85: |
Line 525: |
| </gallery> | | </gallery> |
| | | |
− | == References and external links == | + | ==References== |
− | * [[Maria Lis-Balchin]], ed., ''Geranium and Pelargonium: History of Nomenclature, Usage and Cultivation''. ([[Taylor and Francis]], 2002) ISBN 0-415-28487-2 | + | *[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963 |
− | * [http://www.fuchsia.be] - explanations in the on-line catalog of a Belgian breeder with over 1000 varieties of Pelargonium, most also illustrated, dozens added each year. | + | <!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 --> |
− | * [http://razor.arnes.si/~mstrli/pp.html] - ''The Pelargonium Page'': descriptions of botanical species with plant and habitat photos | + | <!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 --> |
| + | <!--- xxxxx *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608 --> |
| + | |
| + | ==External links== |
| + | *{{wplink}} |
| + | |
| + | {{stub}} |
| + | [[Category:Categorize]] |
| + | |
| + | <!-- in order to add all the proper categories, go to http://www.plants.am/wiki/Plant_Categories and copy/paste the contents of the page here, and then follow the easy instructions! --> |