Crane's-bill (Geranium) Family [Geraniaceae] |
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1st June 2011, Bridge End, Leek, Staffs. | Photo: © RWD |
An erect to procumbent annual up to 60cm long. |
1st June 2011, Bridge End, Leek, Staffs. | Photo: © RWD |
A profusion of leaves but only few small flowers. |
1st June 2011, Bridge End, Leek, Staffs. | Photo: © RWD |
The jizz of the plant. |
19th June 2019, nr. Sunderland Point, Hewsham, Lancs | Photo: © RWD |
1st June 2011, Bridge End, Leek, Staffs. | Photo: © RWD |
Usually two or more stalked leaves from every branch. |
12th July 2019, Greenside Road, Glenridding, Lake Dist. | Photo: © RWD |
1st June 2011, Bridge End, Leek, Staffs. | Photo: © RWD |
Leaves have a single mid-rib vein. Leaves reddish around edges and especially at the tip. White dense hairs, angled downwards. Un-opened flower bud bottom right, two developing fruits with 5-lobed pink stigmas still attached middle top. |
1st June 2011, Bridge End, Leek, Staffs. | Photo: © RWD |
Several un-opened flower buds plus a partly opened flower - with 5 petals each deeply but bluntly notched at the tip. |
1st June 2011, Bridge End, Leek, Staffs. | Photo: © RWD |
The five pink petals have a faint darker central vein. Five light-green sepals surround the flower. |
1st June 2011, Bridge End, Leek, Staffs. | Photo: © RWD |
Flowers much smaller than Bloody Crane's-bill (pink rather than crimson) which also has similar deeply-cut leaves. Anthers a deep-blue colour. |
1st June 2011, Bridge End, Leek, Staffs. | Photo: © RWD |
5-lobed stigma is pink. |
12th July 2019, Greenside Road, Glenridding, Lake District. | Photo: © RWD |
A whole flower with full complement of 10 deep-blue anthers and a 5-lobed pinkish stigma. |
1st June 2011, Bridge End, Leek, Staffs. | Photo: © RWD |
A junction with a paired flower (or three), two pairs of stalked leaves and with the main stem bifurcating. red bracts at every juncture. |
1st June 2011, Bridge End, Leek, Staffs. | Photo: © RWD |
Flowers often in pairs. Crimson-red bracts at stalk junctions. These two turning to fruit. The flower stalks are shortish (less that 25mm long) and fairly thick (rather than thin as in Long-Stalked Crane's-bill or many other Crane's-bills). |
1st June 2011, Bridge End, Leek, Staffs. | Photo: © RWD |
Five arrow-head sepals, with an extended tip which is usually deep-red. Glandular hairs frequently on sepals and upper parts, including fruits (top right) still replete with crimson-red 5-lobed stigma. |
1st June 2011, Bridge End, Leek, Staffs. | Photo: © RWD |
Hairs normal elsewhere but hair-density often high. |
1st June 2011, Bridge End, Leek, Staffs. | Photo: © RWD |
Leaves with 5 (up to 7) lobes often deeply-cut almost to the base, which are cut into sub-lobes, but best ID'd by the hairs on the leaf-stalks. |
1st June 2011, Bridge End, Leek, Staffs. | Photo: © RWD |
A few crimson-red isosceles-triangular bracts tipped with a long narrow extension at the branches of the stems. |
Could be confused with : Long-Stalked Crane's-bill (Geranium columbinum) which also has deeply-cut leaves, but that has: no glandular hairs and all hairs appressed flat to the stems/stalks/sepals (whereas they are not appressed on Cut-leaved Crane's-bill), the flower stalks are mostly under 25mm in length (mostly > 25mm long on Cut-leaved Crane's-bill), longer petals 7-10mm long (shorter at 4.5 - 6mm on Cut-leaved Crane's-bill), very long tips to the sepals. Other differences are also apparent.
Some similarities to : Bloody Crane's-bill (Geranium sanguineum) which also has deeply-cut leaves with the same number (5-7) of main lobes, but that has blood-red flowers which have much longer petals (14-22mm as opposed to 4.5 - 6mm). Uniquely identifiable characteristics Distinguishing Feature : A common medium length (up to 60cm) archaeophyte, either erect or procumbent, which inhabits grassy places or stony ground, waste ground or cultivated land and which is present throughout the UK.
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Geranium | dissectum | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Geraniaceae |
Geranium (Crane's-bills) |
Crane's-bill (Geranium) Family [Geraniaceae] |