Alflleria, also known as alfilerilla, fllaree or redstem filaree, heronbill, pin- 

 clover, pingrass r and storksbill, is an annual herb of the geranium family 

 (Geraniaceae). This family is represented in the United States by two genera, 

 Geranium and Erodium, both of which are easily recognized by their distinctive, 

 beaked fruiting structures. In Erodium the hairy tails on the "seeds" (carpels) 

 become spirally twisted and form a remarkable device of great importance in 

 planting the sharp-pointed "seeds" effectively, since they unwind when moist- 

 ened (hygroscopic motion) , thus boring into the ground and firmly anchoring the 

 seed. This species is a somewhat hairy weed of the rosette type, but it some- 

 times forms clumps. It is considerably branched from the base, and the 

 reddish-colored stems are low and spreading or somewhat ascending. The 

 name, Erodium, is from the Greek word, erodios (a heron). Alfileria is de- 

 rived from the Spanish word alfiler meaning a pin. The name alfileria, some- 

 times spelled alfilaria, is now most often pronounced al-fill-ear'-ree-ah. 



This plant is a native of Europe and has been introduced into the New World 

 from the Mediterranean region, which is its original home. It is now well 

 established in southern Canada and most of the United States, especially in the 

 warmer areas, and extends into Mexico. It is common in all of the western 

 range States and thrives particularly well in so-called desert ranges of Arizona 

 and in the valleys and foothills of California, where it probably reaches its 

 maximum growth in this country. The plant appears to have been introduced 

 into the Southwest by the Spanish Conquistadores and later to have invaded 

 other portions of the North American continent from that region. It, occurs 

 from the desert up to the aspen belt, but is most common in semiarid valleys 

 and canyons and on the plains, mesas, and foothills of the pinon-juniper type 

 (Upper Sonoran Zone). It grows well in sandy soils and often occurs on waste 

 land and denuded areas. That the species is an aggressive invader, which 

 spreads very rapidly, is indicated by the wide distribution which it has achieved 

 since its introduction into this country. 



Alfileria furnishes choice spring forage for all classes of livestock and is 

 also relished by deer and possibly by other game animals. It makes a very 

 vigorous growth early in the spring and is one of the very first plants to 

 begin development at that time. In the most arid portions of its range it 

 matures rapidly, dries up readily, and soon disappears. It also supplies winter 

 forage, since it often begins to grow in the Southwest after the fall rains and 

 may remain green all winter, if the season is mild, and it may even achieve 

 some growth during the warm periods. Thomber x indicates that alfileria is 

 perhaps the most valuable species of the group of winter annuals in Arizona, 

 where the dried and discolored stems are often eaten by livestock until the 

 beginning of the summer rains, when other forage becomes available. Together 

 with Indianwheat (Plantago) it is one of the outstanding sheep weeds on 

 desert lambing grounds about Phoenix, Ariz. 



Over much of its range, alfileria occurs as a small, rather scattered plant 

 and, under such conditions, produces but little forage. However, on favorable 

 areas in the Southwestern States and California and, to some extent, elsewhere, 

 it produces in the aggregate a large amount of herbage. On such ranges, 

 where it grows in abundance, it often provides a large portion of the spring 

 forage over extensive areas. It tends to hug the ground closely on heavily 

 grazed range and thus somewhat protects itself by becoming less readily acces- 

 sible. It evidences a marked ability to reproduce and maintain itself, and even 

 succeeds in spreading on arid lands in spite of heavy grazing. This aggres- 

 siveness, coupled with its palatability and nutritive value, make alfileria a 

 highly esteemed forage plant on many ranges. 



The flowering period usually from February to May varies considerably, 

 depending upon the region and the amount and distribution of seasonal rainfall. 

 As a rule the seeds germinate in the fall or winter. Sampson 2 found that 

 the germination of alfileria seed is high when collected in the late fall, but 

 low when collected in the early summer and that, in artificial reseeding with 

 the species, some preliminary soil treatment is necessary. 



1 Thornber, J. J. THE GRAZING RANGES OF ARIZONA. Ariz. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bull. 65 : 

 [245J-360, illus. 1910. 



2 Sampson, A. W. COLLECTION AND SOWING OF ALFILARIA SEED. U. S. Dept. Agr., Rev. 

 Forest Serv. Invest. 2 : 14-17. 1913. 



