Erodium brachycarpum is a species of flowering plant in the geranium family known by the common names hairy-pitted stork's-bill[1] and shortfruit stork's bill.[2] It is native to southern Europe but it is known elsewhere as an introduced species and often a weed, such as the west coast of the United States where it is widespread in California and Oregon.
| Erodium brachycarpum | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Geraniales |
| Family: | Geraniaceae |
| Genus: | Erodium |
| Species: | E. brachycarpum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Erodium brachycarpum | |
Description edit
This annual herb grows up to about half a meter tall and bears lobed, hairy, petioled leaves with blades up to 10 centimeters wide. The inflorescence is an umbel of lavender flowers with five petals each about a centimeter long and often dark-striped. The fruit has a hairy base just over half a centimeter long and a style which may reach 8 centimeters in length.
This plant is very similar to Erodium botrys and is often overlooked as such, but brachycarpum is a smaller plant overall. Flowers are about a third the size of botrys, and the style is smaller than 80 mm rather than larger. Minor differences exist in the seeds themselves, as well.[3]
References edit
- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Erodium brachycarpum". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- ^ Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Tony Valois, http://www.smmflowers.org/
External links edit
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