Common name: Cranesbill Geranium
Geranium molle L. APNI*
Description: Annual or biennial herb to 50 cm high; stems softly hairy; taproot thin, much-branched.
Leaves on stems opposite, palmatifid with lamina ± circular to reniform in outline, 0.5–2 cm long, 1–4 cm wide, 5–9-lobed; lobes broad and with 3–5 broad teeth towards apex, villous; petiole to 7 cm long.
Flowers paired; peduncle 1–2 cm long; pedicels to 1.2 cm long. Sepals c. 4 mm long. Petals 4–5 mm long, mauvish pink. Anthers mauve.
Fruit 8–11 mm long; mericarps glabrous, transversely wrinkled; seeds greenish brown to brown, ± smooth.
Distribution and occurrence: Widespread on disturbed land, cultivated or waste places. Native of Eur.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *SC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS, *NWP, *LHI
Other Australian states: *Qld *Vic. *S.A.
Text by G. J. Harden
|N.S.W. occurrences are: subsp. molle|
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.