Soft Crane's-bill

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©Geranium potentilloides var 1 Richard Hartland CC-BY, Geranium potentilloides var potentilloides Richard Hartland CC-BY

Geranium potentilloides

Prostrate to scrambling herb to 50 cm high with a thick multi-branched taproot. Round to kidney-shaped leaves with 5-7 lobes, often purplish below. Single pink to white flowers on stalks up to 7 cm long.

Details
Flora Type
Herbs
Former Scientific Name
G. potentilloides var. potentilloides
Distinctive Features

Flowers always single. Distinctive recurved or flattened hairs on most of the plant. Rounded leaves deeply indented.
Biology

Perennial. Dryish basalt and clay soils (dolerite in Tas). Tolerates seasonal drought conditions but intolerant of prolonged inundation. Seed has an awn or bristle that helps it to pierce the soil crust for germination.
Native Status
Native
Flowering Time

Oct-Mar
Taxonomy
Phylum
Tracheophyta (Vascular Plants)
Class
Magnoliopsida (Flowering Plants)
Order
Geraniales
Family
Geraniaceae
Genus
Geranium
Species
sessiliflorum

Source: Atlas of Living Australia

Many Geranium species have branched or single tapered tuberous taproots that were roasted as food by Aboriginal people. The roots of some species contain high levels of tannins and were used as an anti-diarrhoeal.

Interesting Facts
Similar Species

0
Native Status
Native