Geraniums

Author: Heather Catlett

 

Table of Contents:

Species List

Identification Guide

Species maculatum page

Species carolinianum page

References

Other sites about Geraniums

 

General Information: There are about 750 known species of geraniums and they are located worldwide mostly in temperate and tropical regions. They have kidney-shaped leaves that grow in a lobed palmate structure and they are in an alternating pattern from the stem. The flowers are symmetrical and have five seperate sepals and petals. They bloom in early summer (range from spring to fall) and bloom in colors from pale pink to rose, magenta, and lavender-blue. The flowers usually grow in clusters and the plants can be from 6 to 48 inches tall. They like well drained soil that is not extremely dry. The flowers of the genus Geranium take on the shape of the bill of the common crane and this gave the basis for its name. Geranium is derived from the Greek word for crane and the common name, Cranesbill came from this. (Everett, 1981). Carl Linnaeus named both the Geranium maculatum and the Geranium carolinianum which are the two species detailed at this site.

 

 Species:

  • acauleoaxacanum
  • albidum
  • albiflorum
  • album
  • alpicola
  • amoenum
  • andicola
  • andinum
  • antisanae
  • apricum
  • arenicolum
  • argentinum
  • aristatum
  • aristisepalum
  • arsenianum
  • atropurpureum
  • attenuilobum
  • ayacuchense
  • azorelloides
  • bangii
  • bellum
  • berterianum
  • bicknelli
  • bolivarianum
  • caespitosum
  • californicum
  • calvescens
  • campii
  • canescens
  • canum
  • carmineum
  • carolinianum
  • caucense
  • chamaense
  • chaucanum
  • chimborazense
  • chinchense
  • choimacotense
  • ciliatum
  • clarum
  • columbianum
  • comarapense
  • commutatum
  • concinnum
  • confertum
  • costaricense
  • cowenii
  • crassiusculum
  • crenatifolium
  • crenatum
  • cruceroense
  • cuatrecasasii
  • cuchillense
  • cucullatum
  • culminicola
  • decumbens
  • delphinifolium
  • deltoideum
  • dielsianum
  • diffusum
  • digitatum
  • dissectum
  • durangense
  • ecuadoriense
  • elongatum
  • eremophilum
  • erodiflorum
  • escalonense
  • exallum
  • fallax
  • fiebrigianum
  • filipes
  • flaccidum
  • fremontii
  • furcatum
  • fuscicaule
  • geissei

(Harvard University, 1968)

  • gentryi
  • geoides
  • glabratum
  • glanduligerum
  • goldmanii
  • gracile
  • gracilentum
  • guanacosense
  • guatemalense
  • harmsii
  • heinrichsae
  • hernandesii
  • herrerae
  • herzogii
  • hintonii
  • hispidum
  • holosericeum
  • hookerianum
  • huantense
  • hystricinum
  • igualatense
  • imbaburae
  • incisum
  • jaekelae
  • jahnii
  • kerberi
  • killipianum
  • killipii
  • knuthianum
  • langloisii
  • latilobum
  • latum
  • laxicaule
  • laxum
  • lechleri
  • lentum
  • leucanthum
  • lignosum
  • lilacinum
  • limae
  • loloense
  • longipedicellatum
  • longipes
  • lozani
  • maculatum
  • madrense
  • magellanieum
  • malpasense
  • maniculatum
  • marginale
  • mathewsii
  • matucanense
  • melanopotamicum
  • meridense
  • mexicanum
  • minimum
  • mogotocorense
  • monanthum
  • moorei
  • multiflorum
  • multipartitum
  • muscoideum
  • nelsonii
  • nemorale
  • nervosum
  • nivale
  • niveum
  • ochsenii
  • oreganum
  • ornatum
  • palcaense
  • pallidifolium
  • palmeri
  • paludosum
  • paramicola
  • parodii
  • parryi

 

  • patagonicum
  • pattersonii
  • pavonianum
  • pedatifidum
  • peruvianum
  • pflanzii philippii
  • pilgerianum
  • pilosum
  • pinetorum
  • piurense
  • potosinum
  • pringlei
  • pulchrum pumilum
  • purpusii
  • radiatum
  • raimondii
  • razuhillcaense
  • regale
  • renifolium
  • repens
  • reptans
  • resimum
  • retrorsum
  • rhomboidale
  • richardsonii
  • robertianum
  • robustipes
  • rotundifolium
  • ruizii
  • santacruzense
  • santanderiense
  • schimpffii
  • schultzei
  • scissum
  • sebosum
  • seemanni
  • senecioides
  • sepalo-roseum
  • sericeum
  • sessiliflorum
  • sibbaldioides
  • skottsbergii
  • smithianum
  • sodiroanum
  • soratae
  • sphaerospermum
  • squamosum
  • staffordianum
  • stoloniferum
  • strigosius
  • strigosum
  • stuebelii
  • sublaevispermum
  • subscandens
  • subsericeum
  • subulato-stipulatum
  • superbum
  • tablasense
  • temascaltepecense
  • tenue
  • terebinthinaceum
  • texanum
  • thermale
  • titicacaense
  • totorense
  • tracyi
  • trollifolium
  • tucumanum
  • unguiculatum
  • venezuelae
  • venturianum
  • viscosissimum
  • vulcanicola
  • walpersianum
  • weddellii
  • wislizeni

 

 

 

 

 

 

Identification Guide of the Geranium Family:

This key identifies the characteristics of geranium species that are found in the southeastern United States. This key is presented in the book Guide to the Vascular Plants of the Blue Ridge by B. Eugene Wofford.

 

Geraniales Geraniaceae

 (Order and Family)

 

1 Leaves pinnately compound ...................................................................................Erodium

1 Leaves palmately lobed or compound.................................................................Geranium

 

Geranium

1 Petals more than 1 cm long....................................................................................G. maculatum

1 Petals less than 1 cm long......................................................................................2

2 Sepals at maturity with awns imm or more long....................................3

3 Fruiting pedicels more than 2x as long as the calyx........................4

4 Pedicels with appressed, retrorse hairs...........................................G. columbinum

4 Pedicels densely glandular pilose........................................................G. bicknellii

3 Fruiting pedicels up to 2x as long as the calyx or shorter.............5

5 Leaves completey divided into 3-5 seperate divisions...............G. robertianum

5 Leaves palmately lobed or deeply dissected.....................................6

6 Petals dk pink to purple; hairs of mature carpels less than 1 mm long

. .............................................................................................G. dissectum

6 Petals pale pink to nearly white; hairs of mature carpels more than

1mm long.............................................................................G. carolinianum

2 Sepals at maturity mucronate or with awns less than 1 mm long..........7

7 Mature carpel body glabrous, obliquely wrinkled.......................................G. molle

7 Mature carpel body pubescent, not wrinkled.........................................G. pusillum

 

G. bicknellii Britt.; open woods and clearings; infrequent; Jul-Sep; VA.

G. carolinianum L., Carolina Cranesbill; disturbed sites; common; Mar-Jun; ALL.

G. columbinum L., Dovesfoot Cranesbill; pastures and waste places; frequent; May-Jul;

GA, NC, TN, VA.

G. dissectum L.; lawns and pastures; infrequent; May-Jun; NC, SC, VA.

G. maculatum L., Wild Geranium; rich woods; common; Apr-May; ALL.

G. molle L.; disturbed sites; frequent; Apr-Jun; NC, TN, VA.

G. pusillum L.; disturbed sites; occasional; May-Jun; NC, VA.

G. robertianum L.; rocky woodlands; infrequent; Jun-Oct; VA.

(Wofford, 1989)

 

References:

 

1. Brako, Lois et al. 1995. Scientific and Common Names of 7,000 Vascular Plants in the United States.

AP Press. St. Paul, Minnesota.

2. Duncan, Wilbur H. & Foote, Leonard E. 1975. Wildflowers of the Southeastern United States. The

University of Georgia Press. Athens, Georgia.

3. Everett, Thomas H. 1981. The New York Botanical Garden Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horticulture. V5.

Garland Publishing. New York, New York.

4. Harvard University. 1968. Gray Herbarium Index. V5. G. K. Hall & Co. Boston, Massachusetts.

5. Hutson, Robert W. et al. 1995. Great Smoky Mountains Wildflowers. Windy Pines Publishing.

Northbrook, Illinois.

6. Jones, Samuel B. & Coile, Nancy C. Checklist of the Vascular Flora of Clarke County, Georgia.

University of Georgia. Athens, Georgia.

7. Pereire, Anita. 1995. The Ward Lock Encyclopedia of Gardening. Ward Lock. London, England.

8. Wofford, B. Eugene. 1989. Guide to the Vascular Plants of the Blue Ridge. The University of Georgia

Press. Athens, Georgia.

 

To view other web pages with information about Geraniums click one of these:

 http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/2822/index.html

http://www.catalinas.net/seer/plants/thorne/geracaro.htm