36.) GERANIACEAE - Crane's-bill family - Pages

36.) GERANIACEAE - Crane's-bill family

GERANIACEAE - Crane's-bill family

GERANIUM L.

Subgenus GERANIUM

Geranium endressii J. Gay (French Crane's-bill) / General Uncommon An uncommon introduction, occurring on road verges and derelict ground; usually close to habitation. Well distributed but mainly around Bristol.
Geranium endressii x G. versicolor = G. x oxonianum Yeo (Druce's Crane's-bill) / General Frequent The most frequent of our introduced Crane's-bill's; occurring on road verges and derelict ground.
Geranium versicolor L. (Pencilled Crane's-bill) / General Rare A rare introduction; established at Sand Point and sparsely scattered elsewhere - predominantly in the south-western portion of the region.

[Other records on BSBI]

Geranium nodosum L. (Knotted Crane's-bill) General Very Rare A very rare introduction. First recorded at ST67 in pre-1930s by ?. Most recently found at Durdham Down in 2010s by ?; Sandford in 2010s by ?; Uphill in 2020s by ? [BSBI records]; and found self-seeded on a wall and over crazy paving in a front garden on Monk Road, Bishopston, Bristol in 2025 by D. Peters.
Geranium rotundifolium L. (Round-leaved Crane's-bill) / General Frequent Frequent on roadsides, old quarries, dry banks, walls and derelict sites. This species was said by White (1912) to be "peculiarly abundant about Bristol". It appears to have increased further since the turn of the century.
Geranium sylvaticum L. (Wood Crane's-bill) General Extinct This northern species was historically recorded as an introduction at Bitton by H.N. Ellacombe (Riddelsdell, 1948).
Geranium psilostemon Ledeb. (Armenian Crane's-bill) 1980 / General Extinct - 1 BSBI record Recorded at ST66 in 1990s by ? [BSBI record].
Geranium pratense L. (Meadow Crane's-bill) / Grassland Frequent Frequent to the east of the region on the Jurassic limestones but much scarcer and more localised in the west; occurring in meadows, on roadsides and country lanes. Sometimes also found as a garden escape. It has probably declined.
Geranium pratense x G. himalayense = G. x johnsonii P.D. Sell (Johnson's Blue Crane's-bill) - [sold as G. 'Johnson's Blue'] General Very Rare Widely grown in gardens and occasionally escapes. Found at Keynsham Memorial Ground in 2022 by D. Peters.
Geranium himalayense Klotzsch (Himalayan Crane's-bill) General Very Rare Widely grown in gardens and occasionally escapes. Recorded at Castle Park in 2024 by D. Peters.
Geranium sanguineum L. (Bloody Crane's-bill) / General Rare Very rare as a native in our region and only thought to be so on limestone rocks on the Bristol side of the Avon Gorge but widely naturalised on rocky banks and slopes elsewhere.

[Does it still persist at Goblin Combe and Burrington Combe where it was introduced by Bristol University in 1955?]

var. sanguineum General Rare The nominate plant with magenta-purple flowers.
var. striatum Weston (Bloody Crane's-bill) General Very Rare With light pink flowers. Occurs in the Avon Gorge below St. Vincent Rocks.
Geranium asphodeloides Burm. f. (Asphodel Crane's-bill) General Very Rare Recorded near Clutton in 2010s by ? [BSBI record].
Geranium columbinum L. (Long-stalked Crane's-bill) / General Uncommon Widespread and locally frequent on Carboniferous limestone; occurring on dry grassy slopes and banks, rocky outcrops, old quarries, walls, verges, railway lines, open scrub and upland pastures. Particularly frequent on the Mendips. "Together with many other persons I have long admired the graceful elegance of this little plant. Those specimens, often met with on dry slopes of our uplands, that carry a single upright flower on the top of their tiny stems, are exquisite." White (1912).
Geranium dissectum L. (Cut-leaved Crane's-bill) / General Common Common in cultivated and disturbed places such as arable fields, allotments, gardens, roadsides and walls but also frequently found in more natural grassland settings.
Geranium ibericum x P. platypetalum = G. x magnificum Hyl. (Purple Crane's-bill) General Very Rare Widely grown in gardens and occasionally escapes. Recorded at ST46 in 1990s by ? and at Nailsea in 2020s by ? [BSBI records].

Subgenus ROBERTIUM Picard

Geranium pyrenaicum Burm. f. (ssp. pyrenaicum) (Hedgerow Crane's-bill) / General Common Common in disturbed places such as roadside verges, hedgebanks, field margins and railway banks. A white-flowered cultivar 'Summer Snow' was found naturalised along a lane just off Beauchamp Road, Bishopston, Bristol in 2022 by D. Peters.
Geranium pusillum L. (Small-flowered Crane's-bill) - General Scarce Scattered over the region on disturbed well-drained soils such as cultivated ground, roadside verges, spoil heaps and derelict ground.
Geranium molle L. (Dove's-foot Crane's-bill) / General Common Very common in short grassy and disturbed places in both natural and urban environments.
var. molle General Common The nominate plant with the same status and distribution as the species.
var. aequale Bab. (G. aequale (Bab.) Aedo) General Extinct Recorded at Avonmouth Docks in 1933 by C.I. Sandwith [B.E.C., 1933 (p. 522)], (Riddelsdell, 1948). It differs from the typical plant in having smooth (not ridged) mericarps and is probably overlooked.
Geranium macrorrhizum L. (Rock Crane's-bill) General Rare A rare garden escape; found naturalised in places on grassy banks and road verges.

[More records on BSBI]

Geranium macrorrhizum x G. dalmaticum = G. x cantabrigiense Yeo (Cambridge Crane's-bill) General Very Rare Recorded at Shirehampton in 2010s by ? [BSBI record].
Geranium lucidum L. (Shining Crane's-bill) / General Frequent Common around walls, rocky areas, verges and hedgebanks.
Geranium robertianum L. (Herb-Robert) / General Common Very common in rocky ground, woodland, shaded walls, hedgebanks and gardens. Occasionally produces white flowers.
ssp. robertianum General Common The common plant. London Pink and Red Robin are local Gloucestershire names (Riddelsdell, 1948).
ssp. maritimum (Bab.) H.G. Baker General Rare Recently discovered in local abundance at Goblin Combe in 2023 by D. Peters. It is noticeably smaller, more procumbent in habit and less hairy and is somewhat intermediate between ssp. robertianum and G. purpureum. Historically also recorded at Sand Point and Steep Holm where it still occurs.

"The flowers of ssp. maritimum are meant to be a bit smaller than in ssp. robertianum and the stems are glabrous apart from the line of very small hooked hairs which I noticed. It did not really smell like typical Herb Robert and this would be because it probably has few or none of the glandular hairs, which are usually present on the stem along with the longer hairs. They are normally also present on the margins of the leaves. We should probably look for this subspecies in other rocky or stony places, not just on the coast. Railway ballast is quite a likely habitat but it would need to be a disused railway or a job for binoculars or a super-zoom lens." R.D. Randall (Pers. Comm., 2023).

ssp. celticum Ostenf. General Very Rare - occurs at Dolebury Hill-fort according to R.D. Randall "From memory I believe we have ssp. celticum on the southern rampart of Dolebury hill-fort, where it grows with Sagina nodosa... Ssp. celticum has stems that only go red at the nodes, bright green leaves and larger pale pink or almost white flowers. Stace says its fruit are large and hairy. How much larger he does not say." R.D. Randall (Pers. Comm., 2023).
Geranium robertianum x G. purpureum (Herb-Robert x Little Robin) General Very Rare A possible plant was found on Observatory Hill in 2022 by D. Peters.

[Need to check]

Geranium purpureum Vill. ssp. purpureum (Little-Robin) / General Very Rare Very rare on sparsely vegetated rocky outcrops on both sides of the Avon Gorge. First recognised to be present in the region when it was discovered on St. Vincent's Rocks in 1925 by C. Wall.
Geranium yeoi Aedo & Muñoz Garm. (Greater Herb-Robert) General - 1 BSBI record Recorded at Worlebury in 2010s by ? [BSBI record].
Geranium maderense Yeo (Giant Herb-Robert) General - 1 record Recorded at Tyntesfield in 2007 by ?. Also known as Madeira Crane's-bill.

Subgenus ERODIOIDEA Yeo

Geranium phaeum L. var. phaeum (Dusky Crane's-bill) - General Very rare introduction; established in places on lane-sides and verges.
Geranium reflexum L. (Reflexed Crane's-bill) 1929 General "A rare and beautiful continental species. Found on waste ground near Longwood House, Failand, S., and cultivated by Mrs. Bell." J.W. White (Bristol Botany in 1929).

[It's possible it was actually G. phaeum x G. reflexum = G. x monacense so the specimen will need checking if available.]

ERODIUM L'Hér.

Erodium maritimum (L.) L'Hér. (Sea Stork's-bill) / Coasts Very Rare Very rare on thin dry stony soils along the coast and inland at Dolbury Warren and Goblin Combe. Recently discovered in pavement cracks in Clifton by C.M. Lovatt. First recorded locally and nationally by Merrett (1666) "Geranium Betonicae folio. Over against Saint Vincent's Rocks on the farther side of the river". Also recorded on Steep Holm in 1773 by Banks and Lightfoot.
Erodium moschatum (L.) L'Hér. (Musk Stork's-bill) / General Scarce A scarce but increasing plant; found on verges, rocky limestone grassland and disturbed places. First locally recorded by Ray (1670) - "Geranium moschatum...Musked Crane's bill or Muscovy, I observed it near Bristow on a little Green you pass over going thence to S. Vincent's Rock". A small form var. minor sometimes recorded in the past are just plants dwarfed by habitat.
Erodium cicutarium (L.) L'Hér. (Common Stork's-bill) / General Frequent Locally frequent on thin well-drained soils such as short grassland, grassy banks, sand dunes, rocky outcrops and railway lines. An introduced variant - var. pimpinellifolium was found "Abundant at the base of an old dust-heap by the Avon above Keynsham, in Bitton parish, 1895-7. In the Station-yard at Portishead, 1902" (White, 1912). It is no longer recognised today.

[Find out var. pimpinellifolium's distinguishing features - see Kirschner, Flora von Stuttgart.]

Erodium ciconium (L.) L'Hér. (Long-beaked Stork's-bill) General Extinct A native of South Central Europe and the Mediterranean; recorded at Pilning in 1995 by ? but unconfirmed.

[Record from SEWBReC on NBN but location coordinates are from Pilning - probably a mistake for E. circutarium]

Erodium stephanianum Willd. (Stephan’s Stork's-bill) - [Sandwith, 1932] General Extinct A native of North Asia; recorded from a chicken-run on Ashley Hill, Bristol in 1925 by C.I. Sandwith.
Erodium trifolium (Cav.) Guitt. (Three-leaved Stork's-bill) General Very Rare One plant was found at the base of a wall on Berkeley Road, Bishopston, Bristol in 2024 by R.J. Higgins.

PELARGONIUM L'Hér. ex Aiton

Pelargonium inquinans x P. zonale = P. x hybridum Aiton (Garden Geranium) General - 1 record [recorded on DB just as Pelargonium] Commonly grown as a bedding plant and in troughs and hanging baskets though rarely ever escapes. Found at Bristol City Centre in 2013 on two separate occasions by R. Marston and Ben Kimpton.

[Probably get rid. Check irecord.]

List:

Geranium endressii J. Gay (French Crane's-bill) / General
Geranium endressii x G. versicolor = G. x oxonianum Yeo (Druce's Crane's-bill) / General
Geranium versicolor L. (Pencilled Crane's-bill) / General
Geranium nodosum L. (Knotted Crane's-bill) General
Geranium rotundifolium L. (Round-leaved Crane's-bill) / General
Geranium sylvaticum L. (Wood Crane's-bill) General
Geranium psilostemon Ledeb. (Armenian Crane's-bill) 1980 / General - 1 BSBI record
Geranium pratense L. (Meadow Crane's-bill) / Grassland
Geranium pratense x G. himalayense = G. x johnsonii P.D. Sell (Johnson's Blue Crane's-bill) - [sold as G. 'Johnson's Blue'] General
Geranium himalayense Klotzsch (Himalayan Crane's-bill) General
Geranium sanguineum L. (var. sanguineum - Stace, NBN) (Bloody Crane's-bill) / General
Geranium sanguineum L. var. striatum Weston (Bloody Crane's-bill) General
Geranium asphodeloides Burm. f. (Asphodel Crane's-bill) General - 1 BSBI record
Geranium columbinum L. (Long-stalked Crane's-bill) / General
Geranium dissectum L. (Cut-leaved Crane's-bill) / General
Geranium ibericum x P. platypetalum = G. x magnificum Hyl. (Purple Crane's-bill) General
Geranium pyrenaicum Burm. f. (ssp. pyrenaicum - Kew, GBIF) (Hedgerow Crane's-bill) / General
Geranium pusillum L. (Small-flowered Crane's-bill) - General
Geranium molle L. (var. molle - Stace, NBN) (Dove's-foot Crane's-bill) / General
Geranium molle L. var. aequale Bab. (G. aequale (Bab.) Aedo - Kew, GBIF) (Dove's-foot Crane's-bill) General - 1 record
Geranium macrorrhizum L. (Rock Crane's-bill) General
Geranium macrorrhizum x G. dalmaticum = G. x cantabrigiense Yeo (Cambridge Crane's-bill) General - 1 BSBI record
Geranium lucidum L. (Shining Crane's-bill) / General
Geranium robertianum L. (ssp. robertianum - Stace, NBN) (Herb-Robert) / General
Geranium robertianum L. ssp. maritimum (Bab.) H.G. Baker (Herb-Robert) General
Geranium robertianum L. ssp. celticum Ostenf. (Herb-Robert) General - occurs at Dolebury Hill-fort according to R.D. Randall
Geranium robertianum x G. purpureum (Herb-Robert x Little Robin) General
Geranium purpureum Vill. (ssp. purpureum - Stace) (Little-Robin) / General
Geranium yeoi Aedo & Muñoz Garm. (Greater Herb-Robert) General - 1 BSBI record
Geranium maderense Yeo (Giant Herb-Robert) General - 1 record
Geranium phaeum L. (var. phaeum - Stace, NBN) (Dusky Crane's-bill) - General
Geranium reflexum L. (Reflexed Crane's-bill) 1929 General
Erodium maritimum (L.) L'Hér. (Sea Stork's-bill) / Coasts
Erodium moschatum (L.) L'Hér. (Musk Stork's-bill) / General
Erodium cicutarium (L.) L'Hér. (Common Stork's-bill) / General
Erodium ciconium (L.) L'Hér. (Long-beaked Stork's-bill) General - [record unconfirmed, from SEWBReC on NBN but location coordinates are from Pilning - probably a mistake for E. circutarium]
Erodium stephanianum Willd. (Stephan’s Stork's-bill) - [Sandwith, 1932] General
Erodium trifolium (Cav.) Guitt. (Three-leaved Stork's-bill) - R.J. Higgins General
Pelargonium inquinans x P. zonale = P. x hybridum Aiton (Garden Geranium) General - 1 record

Species to add:

Geranium nodosum L. (Knotted Crane's-bill) General /
Geranium sylvaticum L. (Wood Crane's-bill) General
Geranium pratense x G. himalayense = G. x johnsonii P.D. Sell (Johnson's Blue Crane's-bill) General - [sold as G. 'Johnson's Blue'] /
Geranium himalayense Klotzsch (Himalayan Crane's-bill) General /
Geranium sanguineum L. var. striatum Weston (Bloody Crane's-bill) General /
Geranium asphodeloides Burm. f. (Asphodel Crane's-bill) General - 1 BSBI record /
Geranium ibericum x P. platypetalum = G. x magnificum Hyl. (Purple Crane's-bill) General /
Geranium molle L. var. aequale Bab. (G. aequale (Bab.) Aedo - Kew, GBIF) (Dove's-foot Crane's-bill) General - 1 record /
Geranium macrorrhizum L. (Rock Crane's-bill) General /
Geranium macrorrhizum x G. dalmaticum = G. x cantabrigiense Yeo (Cambridge Crane's-bill) General - 1 BSBI record /
Geranium robertianum L. ssp. maritimum (Bab.) H.G. Baker (Herb-Robert) General /
Geranium robertianum L. ssp. celticum Ostenf. (Herb-Robert) General - occurs at Dolebury Hill-fort according to R.D. Randall /
Geranium robertianum x G. purpureum (Herb-Robert x Little Robin) General /
Geranium yeoi Aedo & Muñoz Garm. (Greater Herb-Robert) General - 1 BSBI record /
Geranium maderense Yeo (Giant Herb-Robert) General - 1 record /
Erodium ciconium (L.) L'Hér. (Long-beaked Stork's-bill) General - [record unconfirmed, from SEWBReC on NBN but location coordinates are from Pilning - probably a mistake for E. circutarium] /
Erodium stephanianum Willd. (Stephan’s Stork's-bill) - [Sandwith, 1932] General /
Erodium trifolium (Cav.) Guitt. (Three-leaved Stork's-bill) - R.J. Higgins General /
Pelargonium inquinans x P. zonale = P. x hybridum Aiton (Garden Geranium) General - 1 record /