WILDFLOWERS

GERANIUM FAMILY

Common Stork's-bill Erodium cicutarium is a short, hairy perennial with purplish flowers (10-15mm across) and feathery pinnate leaves. Flowers bloom from April to August with petals that drop soon after the flowers open. The fruits that follow resemble long, twisted beaks.

Meadow Cranesbill Geranium pratense often appears on Hog Hill Meadow in June. It is a perennial growing to a height of about 50cm. Each blue flower may grow up to 4cm across with 5 unnotched petals, 5 short pointed hairy sepals. 10 stamens and a pistil.

Herb Robert Geranium robertianum is a low-growing woodland plant that flowers from April to September. It has small, pink, five-petalled flowers and reddish stems. The leaves have deeply divided lobed leaves often tinged with red.

Dovesfoot Cranesbill Geranium molle is a low creeping member of the geranium family often seen in May. A plant growing along Foxburrow Road kerbside had white, larger than normal flowers. Being unusual we sent a picture to botanists Ken Adams and Enid Barrie. They both agreed that it was still molle, with Enid suggesting it might be a garden cultivar.

Cut-leaved Cranesbill Geranium dissectum has leaves that are divided almost to the base. The purplish-pink flowers (18mm across) grow on short stalks. The sepals are hairy.

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