The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Geranium aequale

Etymology

Geranium: From the Greek geranos 'crane', the fruit of the plant resembling the head and beak of this bird, hence the common name cranesbill.

Authority

Geranium aequale Aedo

Family

Geraniaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Features

Annual herb to 400 mm; stem erect or decumbent, branched from base, pilose, long eglandular 1-1.2 mm long and short glandular, eglandular hairs < 0.5 mm long. Rossette leaves persistent; lamina 1.5-3(-5) x 1.5-3.7(-5.8) cm, divided 0.60-0.75 of length, pilose, hairs eglandular, appressed; segments 7-9, basally 2-4 mm wide, apex 3(-5)-lobed; cauline leaves alternate; petioles 140 mm long, with patent, eglandular hairs c.1 mm long and short glandular, eglandular hairs < 0.5 mm long; stipules 6-7 x 3-4 mm, ovate-lanceolate, sometimes lobed, abaxially eglandular pilose, glabrous adaxially. Bracts 2-4 x 1.5-2 mm, pilose with eglandular hairs on abaxial surface and on the margin, glabrous adaxially; peduncles 10-70 mm, hairs eglandular, pilose, patent 1-1.7 mm or < 0.5 mm, glandular, eglandular; pedicels 10-22 mm, pilose, hairs: eglandular, patent 1.0-1.8 mm and < 0.5 mm glandular, eglandular. Sepals 3-5 x 1.5-2 mm, mucronulate, margins scarious, abaxially mixed eglandular hairs 1-2 mm and eglandular, glandular, < 0.5 mm, adaxially glabrous. Petals 3.5-4.5 x 2-3 mm, emarginate (notch 1 mm), claw short, bright purple. Stamens 10, filaments 3-4.5 mm, lanceolate, mostly glabrous; anthers 0.4-0.6 x 0.2-0.3 mm, purple. Gynoecium c.5 mm long; stigma purple. Fruit 9-12 mm; mericarps 1.4-1.5 x 1.0-1.1 mm, smooth, without longitudinal rib, partially covering seed, mostly glabrous, densely ciliate at base; rostrum 7.0-10.5 mm, apex narrowed, 1-1.5 mm, pilose; stigmatic remnant persistent. Seeds 1.6-1.7 x 0.9-1.0 mm, brownish.

Flower Colours

Violet / Purple

Origin

Europe

This page last updated on 24 Mar 2010