GERANIUM FAMILY. Geraniaceae. 



A slender plant, about a foot tall, with 

 Long-stalked . , . , , . 



Crane's-bill pinkish, hairy stems and pretty leaves, 



Ger&nium thin in texture, with a dull surface; the 



columbinum seed- vessels erect, with bristly beaks. 



rp The flowers grow in pairs and are less 



Spring, summer , ,, . . . 



California, etc. t ^ ian ^ a ^ an inc ' 1 across > Wltn hairy ca- 

 lyxes and notched, purple or magenta 

 petals. This is naturalized from Europe, and common in 

 the East and grows along roadsides, at the edges of fields 

 and woods. 



There are many kinds of Erodium, three native in the 

 Southwest and several more introduced, weeds in the Old 

 World and important forage plants in the West; leaves 

 often unequal, with one stipule on one side and two on the 

 other. They resemble Geranium, flower and fruit being 

 nearly the same, but only five of the stamens have anthers, 

 the alternate ones being scale-like, without anthers; styles] 

 hairy inside. The Greek name means "heron, " in allusiori 

 to the long beak of the capsule. 



Though not native, this is the common- 



Red-stem ^ . ' . . ' 



Filaree est kind, in the interior and semi-anc 



Erodium regions, and most valued for forage 



deuterium When young it forms rosettes close to th 



Pmk ground, but grows taller and more strag 



West etc gl m K- The stems are often reddish; thi 



leaves somewhat hairy; the flowers small 

 in clusters of four to eight, with four bracts at the base; th 

 petals purplish-pink, with darker veins, and hairy at th 

 base, the two upper petals slightly smaller; the sepals tippei 

 with one or two bristles. The ovary is beaked by th 

 united styles, the beak, when the seeds ripen, separatin; 

 into five, long tails, which twist spirally when dry ani 

 untwist when moistened. This is common west of th 

 Rockies, blooming more or less all the year round, varyin 

 in size in different soils. Filaree is a corruption of th 

 Spanish Alfilerilla, from "alfiler," a "pin." Other name 

 are Pinkets, Pinclover, Storksbill, and Clocks, so-calle| 

 by children because they amuse themselves by watchin 

 the tails twist about like the hands of a clock. White-ster 

 Filaree, E. moschdtum, common in rich soil, has large: 

 coarser leaves and a faint scent. 



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