Geranium carolinianum L.

Carolina geranium (en), Géranium (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Geraniales > Geraniaceae > Geranium

Characteristics

Annuals. Stem 10-65(-70) cm tall, erect, not rooting at nodes, with abundant 0.2-1.1 mm patent to retrorse nonglandular trichomes and scattered 0.2-0.7 mm patent glandular trichomes. Stipules lanceolate to subulate, distinct. Leaves 1-3 alternate but opposite at inflorescence; petiole with usually 0.2-1.1 mm patent nonglandular trichomes and scattered glandular trichomes; leaf blade 2.2-6.5 cm, palmately cleft, ratio of main sinus/middle segment length = 0.7-0.9, pilose with appressed nonglandular trichomes; segments 5(or 7), rhombic, 2-5 mm wide at base, 5-12-lobed in distal half, ratio of second sinus/middle segment length = 0.27-0.31. Cymules in dense aggregates at apex of each branch or solitary in forks, 2(or 3)-flowered; peduncle 0-2.5(-6) cm. Pedicel 3-11 mm, with 0.2-0.7 mm patent or sometimes retrorse but not appressed nonglandular trichomes and 0.3-0.6 mm patent glandular trichomes; bracteoles lanceolate. Sepals 5-6.5 mm, mucro 1.5-2 mm, ratio of mucro/sepal length = ca. 0.3, outside with 0.1-0.6 mm antrorse to patent nonglandular trichomes and 0.2-0.5 mm patent glandular trichomes, inside glabrous. Petals white or pale purple, 5.5-6 mm, erect to patent, inside glabrous, margin basally ciliate, apex rounded or slightly notched. Staminal filaments whitish, lanceolate to lanceolate with an abruptly narrowed apex, abaxially sparsely pilose and basal half ciliate, trichomes 0.1-0.3 mm; anthers yellowish, 0.4-0.6 mm. Nectaries 5, hemispheric, glabrous. Stigma pinkish. Fruit 1.9-2.5 cm, erect when immature; mericarps smooth, with a basal callus, with 0.5-1.8 mm patent to antrorse nonglandular trichomes and sometimes 0.4-1 mm patent glandular trichomes; rostrum 1.5-1.9 cm, with a 1-2 mm narrowed apex; stigmatic remains 0.7-1.4 mm. Seeds 2-2.2 mm. Fl. Apr-Jul, fr. May-Sep. 2n = 46-48, 52.
More
Annual; stems several, freely branched, eventually to 6 dm, villous with spreading or somewhat retrorse hairs, and becoming glandular above, lvs rotund-reniform, 3–7 cm wide, deeply 5–9-cleft with oblong to obovate, deeply toothed or lobed segments; peduncles mostly 2-fld, the pedicels to twice as long as the cal; sep to 1 cm, short-awned, equaling the retuse pet; fr 2–5 cm, the stylar beak 1–2 mm, the carpel-bodies hirsute with long antrorse hairs ca 1 mm; seeds very obscurely reticulate; 2n=52. Dry, barren or sandy soil and waste places; Me. to B.C., s. to Fla., Tex., and Calif. May–Aug. Var. carolinianum, chiefly southern, but extending n. to Mass. and Mich., has a relatively loose and open infl; var. confertiflorum Fernald, the common form in our range, has very short upper internodes, the fls thus in compact, many-fld, umbel-like terminal clusters. (G. sphaerospermum Fernald, plants with seeds of maximum plumpness and sep of maximum width—an unusual combination)
Life form annual
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.1 - 0.65
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-9

Usage

Uses animal food environmental use medicinal
Edible -
Therapeutic use Antidiarrheic (unspecified), Tumor (unspecified), Stomachic (unspecified), Diarrhea (unspecified), Dyspepsia (unspecified), Antirheumatic agents (whole plant), Common cold (whole plant), Cough (whole plant)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Geranium carolinianum habit picture by herbalismwitch0522 (cc-by-sa)
Geranium carolinianum habit picture by jimseng jimseng (cc-by-sa)
Geranium carolinianum habit picture by Khadijah Khan (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Geranium carolinianum leaf picture by Ryan B (cc-by-sa)
Geranium carolinianum leaf picture by Lynn Terrell-Stone (cc-by-sa)
Geranium carolinianum leaf picture by Sue Hopkins (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Geranium carolinianum flower picture by Ellie Miller (cc-by-sa)
Geranium carolinianum flower picture by Andrea Bonnett (cc-by-sa)
Geranium carolinianum flower picture by Franklin Barrett (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Geranium carolinianum fruit picture by Eric Jaenichen (cc-by-sa)
Geranium carolinianum fruit picture by Natures Guy (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Geranium carolinianum world distribution map, present in Brazil, Canada, China, and United States of America

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:320496-2
WFO ID wfo-0000700183
COL ID 6KCJG
BDTFX ID 82290
INPN ID 706318
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Geranium carolinum Geranium lenticulum Geranium sphaerospermum Geranium thermale Geranium atrum Geranium langloisii Geranium carolinianum f. albiflorum Geranium lanuginosum Geranium carolinianum var. confertiflorum Geranium carolinianum var. sphaerospermum Geranium carolinianum f. carolinianum Geranium carolinianum var. carolinianum Geranium dissectum var. carolinianum Geranium carolinianum