GERANIUM, a genus of plants of the nat. ord. Geraniaceæ, containing a vast number of species, many of which are cultivated in our gardens for the beauty of their flowers. Most of the cultivated species belong to the sub-genus Pelargonium, and are natives of southern Africa, where they abound, and form a striking feature in the peculiar vegetation of that region. See BOTANY, vol. v., p. 187.