WOOD CRANE'S-BILL

Geranium sylvaticum

Crane's-bill (Geranium) Family [Geraniaceae]  

month8jun month8june month8jul month8july month8Aug

status
statusZnative
flower
flower8bicolour
flower
flower8blue
inner
inner8white
morph
morph8actino
petals
petalsZ5
stem
stem8round

10th June 2009, Extinct Newbiggin on Lune/Kirby Stephen Railway. Photo: © RWD
Parallel lines of Wood Crane's-bill each side of the cutting continuing for a kilometre.


10th June 2009, Extinct Newbiggin on Lune/Kirby Stephen Railway. Photo: © RWD
Jizz like Meadow Crane's-bill but flowers are more mauve in colour and with a white centre.


14th May 2011, Lancaster Canal, nr Sedgewick. Photo: © RWD
Un-opened flower buds have closed sepals, the mid-ribs of which extend well beyond the end of the sepal to criss-cross each other. Hairy stems; leaves with a satin sheen.


10th June 2009, Extinct Newbiggin on Lune/Kirby Stephen Railway. Photo: © RWD
Central white section is more pronounced than in Meadow Crane's-bill.


14th May 2011, Lancaster Canal, nr Sedgewick. Photo: © RWD
Five petals and ten stamens bearing blue/purple anthers and a central red 'beak, the beginnings of the 'storks' bill' that is a means and mechanism of seed dispersal in Geraniums (Stork's-bills).


10th June 2009, Extinct Newbiggin on Lune/Kirby Stephen Railway. Photo: © RWD
Petals sometimes slightly notched.


14th May 2011, Lancaster Canal, nr Sedgewick. Photo: © RWD
A triplet of flowers, now mostly bereft of petals. stems and sepals hairy.


14th May 2011, Lancaster Canal, nr Sedgewick. Photo: © RWD
The petals now gone, and only two purple anthers remaining on the 10 stamens. The five green sepals have both hairy edges and an extended mid-rib that protrudes well beyond the end of the sepal.


10th June 2009, Extinct Newbiggin on Lune/Kirby Stephen Railway. Photo: © RWD
The 'Crane's bills' forming. When ripe they point upwards.


10th June 2009, Extinct Newbiggin on Lune/Kirby Stephen Railway. Photo: © RWD
The stamens are now being enveloped in a reddish pitcher with an opening at the top.


10th June 2009, Extinct Newbiggin on Lune/Kirby Stephen Railway. Photo: © RWD
Leaves less deeply cut than those of Meadow Crane's-bill.


14th May 2011, Lancaster Canal, nr Sedgewick. Photo: © RWD
Leaves not as deeply cut as those of Meadow Crane's-bill.


Some similarities to : Meadow Crane's-bill but that has leaves that are more deeply cut and flowers that are much more blue than mauve. Purple Crane's-bill has flowers that are purple rather than mauve. Bloody Crane's-bill has brilliant red flowers and thin and deeply cut leaves. Also, the flowers of Wood Crane's-bill are smaller than any of these other cranesbills named here and the ripened fruit stalks are held upright.


USE BY BUTTERFLIES
LAYS EGGS ON CATERPILLAR CHRYSALIS BUTTERFLY
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  Geranium sylvaticum  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Geraniaceae  

Distribution
family8Cranesbill family8Geranium family8Geraniaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8geranium
Geranium
(Crane's-bills)

WOOD CRANE'S-BILL

Geranium sylvaticum

Crane's-bill (Geranium) Family [Geraniaceae]  

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