ERODIUM BOTRYS

Family and Genus:- See- GERANIACEAE

Common Names:- Hairy storksbill

Homotypic Synonyms:- Erodion botrydium, Erodium ciconium var. botrys.

Geranium botrys.

Meaning:- Erodium (Gr) Heron (reference to the shape of fruit, stork's-bill).

Botrys (Gr) Bunched, panicled.

General description:- A conspicuously stemmed annual.

Stems:-

1) (5-)10-40 cm, with long, patent or deflexed hairs.

Leaves:-

1) Up to 5 cm, usually appressed-setose, oblong or ovate, at least the upper deeply

pinnatifid or pinnatisect; lobes pinnatifid or dentate.

Flowers:-

1) Umbels, with 1-4 flowers; bracts ovate-lanceolate, acute, subglabrous, brown.

2) Sepals, 10-13 mm.

3) Petals, c. 15 mm violet.

Fruit:-

1) Mericarps, 8-11 mm, with ascending, whitish hairs apical pits deep, eglandular,

with two furrows at the base, the upper larger.

2) Beak, 50-110 mm.

Key features:-

1) Beak, of the fruit more than 45 mm.

2) Apical pits of the mericarp with two conspicuous furrows at the base.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Rocky and sandy coastal habitats, open coniferous woodland, fallow

fields, olive groves, roadsides. 0-900 m.

Distribution:- Rare and scattered in W & N Greece. - Widespread in the

Mediterranean region and Atlantic Islands. Fairly rare on Crete, known from only a

few scattered coastal locations

Flowering time:- Mar- May.

Photos by:- Courtesy of Wiki-Commons