Geranium pusillum L.

Small-flowered cranesbill (en), Géranium fluet (fr), Géranium à tiges grêles (fr), Géranium grêle (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Geraniales > Geraniaceae > Geranium

Characteristics

Annuals. Stem 10-50 cm tall, erect or decumbent, not rooting at nodes, with 0.1-0.3 mm patent nonglandular trichomes and 0.1-0.2 mm patent glandular trichomes. Stipules lanceolate, distinct. Leaves opposite; petiole with 0.1-0.3 mm patent nonglandular trichomes and 0.1-0.2 mm patent glandular trichomes; leaf blade 1.5-3.8 cm, palmately cleft, ratio of main sinus/middle segment length = 0.3-0.75, pilose with appressed nonglandular trichomes; segments 5, obtriangular, 2-4 mm wide at base, 3(-5)-lobed at apex, ratio of second sinus/middle segment length = 0.16-0.29. Cymules solitary, 2-flowered; peduncle 0.5-3.2 cm. Pedicel 0.6-1.6 cm, with 0.1-0.3 mm patent nonglandular trichomes and 0.1-0.2 mm patent glandular trichomes; bracteoles linear-lanceolate. Sepals 3-4.5 mm, mucro ca. 0.1 mm, ratio of mucro/sepal length = 0.02-0.03, outside with 0.6-1 mm patent nonglandular trichomes and 0.2-0.5 mm ± patent nonglandular and glandular trichomes, outside glabrous. Petals pale purple, 2-3 mm, erect to patent, both surfaces glabrous, margin basally ciliate, apex emarginate with a 0.2-0.5 mm notch. Stamens external whorl lacking anthers and reduced to 5 staminodes; filaments white, lanceolate, abaxially pilose and proximal half ciliate, trichomes 0.1-0.2 mm; anthers purplish, ca. 0.3 mm. Nectaries 5, hemispheric, glabrous. Stigma yellowish. Fruit 0.9-1.1 cm, erect when immature; mericarps smooth, without a basal callus, with to 0.2 mm appressed nonglandular trichomes, base with a few cilia; rostrum 7-9 mm, without a narrowed apex; stigmatic remains 0.5-0.7 mm. Seeds 1.7-1.8 mm. Fl. Jun-Jul, fr. Aug-Oct. 2n = 26.
More
Taprooted annual, to over 30 cm tall, but often much less, densely clothed in short hairs. Stems decumbent to spreading, often branched from the base. Lvs with long eglandular, and short glandular hairs. Lower lvs long-petiolate. Lamina palmately lobed, 1-3.5 × 1.5-4.5 cm, reniform to almost orbicular; lobes 5-9, extending 3/4 way to petiole, 2-3-lobed; secondary lobes oblong to obovate. Upper lvs smaller and simpler with shorter petioles. Fls numerous, often paired; peduncles short; pedicels usually longer than peduncles, curving upwards after flowering, densely clothed in glandular hairs. Sepals 2-3 mm long (to c. 4 mm at fruiting), ± ovate, densely clothed in long, white, pilose and short glandular hairs, mucronate. Petals 2.5-3.5 mm long, obovate, emarginate, pale mauve; claw short. Stamens 10, 4-5 reduced to staminodes (lacking anthers); filaments whitish; anthers mauvish brown. Mericarps 1.5-2 mm long, densely clothed in appressed hairs on outer face. Seed smooth.
Diffusely branched annual or biennial, spreading or ascending, to 5 dm; basal lvs long-petioled, the rotund, 3–6 cm blade deeply 7–9-cleft with cuneate divisions palmately lobed at the summit; upper lvs progressively reduced; fls numerous on densely but minutely glandular pedicels; sep acute or shortly mucronate, 2.5–4 mm at anthesis, ± hirsute, especially at the margins, nearly as long as the retuse pet; 3–5 outer stamens lacking anthers; fr, including the cal, 9–12 mm, the stylar beak very short or none, the carpel-bodies strigillose, not wrinkled; seeds smooth; 2n=26. Native of Europe, established as a weed in fields and waste places from N. Engl. to B.C., s. to N.C., Ark., and Oreg. All summer.
Life form annual
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination
Spread autochory
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.65 - 0.75
Root system tap-root
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) 0.1
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Cultivated and waste ground and open habitats in dry grassland.
Light 7-9
Soil humidity 1-6
Soil texture 1-6
Soil acidity 3-7
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 6-8

Usage

Uses medicinal
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by seedlings.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) 30 - 400
Germination temperacture (C°) 21
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Geranium pusillum habit picture by Ka Janine (cc-by-sa)
Geranium pusillum habit picture by Sabina Hartmann (cc-by-sa)
Geranium pusillum habit picture by agathaha (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Geranium pusillum leaf picture by Wim Huysmans (cc-by-sa)
Geranium pusillum leaf picture by sandra44120 (cc-by-sa)
Geranium pusillum leaf picture by Frédéric Arnaudet (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Geranium pusillum flower picture by Frédéric Arnaudet (cc-by-sa)
Geranium pusillum flower picture by Mário Azevedo (cc-by-sa)
Geranium pusillum flower picture by Dominique Vioux (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Geranium pusillum fruit picture by Dag Wixforth (cc-by-sa)
Geranium pusillum fruit picture by Jean Marshall (cc-by-sa)
Geranium pusillum fruit picture by Pierre LEON (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Geranium pusillum world distribution map, present in Canada, China, France, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Syrian Arab Republic, United States of America, and South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:60444752-2
WFO ID wfo-0000701157
COL ID 3FV3T
BDTFX ID 30036
INPN ID 100133
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Geranium circinatum Geranium humile Geranium pusillum Geranium baumgartenianum Geranium dubium Geranium haussknechtii Geranium hybridum Geranium parviflorum Geranium pseudopusillum Geranium malvifolium Geranium delicatulum Geranium elatum Geranium pusillum var. albiflorum Geranium pusillum var. axilliflorum Geranium pusillum var. condensatum Geranium pusillum var. elatum Geranium pusillum var. gracillimum Geranium pusillum var. majus-grandifolium Geranium pusillum var. rigidum Geranium pusillum var. tenuilobum