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geranium

geranium common name for some members of the Geraniaceae, a family of herbs and small shrubs of temperate and subtropical regions. Their long, beak-shaped fruits give them the popular names crane's-bill (for species of the genus Geranium, the true geranium), heron's-bill (genus Erodium ), and stork's-bill (genus Pelargonium ). The American wild geranium, or wild crane's-bill, has rose-to-purple five-petaled flowers and handsome, deeply forked leaves; the woodland herb Robert is similar but smaller. Florists' geraniums are hybrid varieties of the S African genus Pelargonium in which the "petals" are actually highly modified stamens. Geraniums are cultivated not only as ornamentals but for the aromatic oils extracted from their foliage and flowers for use in flavorings and perfumes. Geraniums are classified in the division Magnoliophyta , class Magnoliopsida, order Geraniales, family Geraniaceae.

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geranium

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Â© World Encyclopedia 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

geranium (Pelargonium) Genus of 400 perennial plants. They bear pink, purple or white flowers. Family Geraniaceae.

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	The Geranium Stands Alone; An Unassuming Flower of Beauty and Strength Newspaper article from: The Washington Post; 6/11/1987; ; 700+ words ; ...than to regular geraniums. Hybridizers...far more robust geranium that the ones...is used, the geranium bounces back to...spring. Once geraniums were propagated...people exchanged geranium cuttings the way...