Geranium macrorrhizum is a species of hardy flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the genus Geranium, family Geraniaceae. It is native to the South east Alps and the Balkans.[1] Its common names include bigroot geranium,[2] Bulgarian geranium,[2] and rock crane's-bill.[3]
| Geranium macrorrhizum | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Geraniales |
| Family: | Geraniaceae |
| Genus: | Geranium |
| Species: | G. macrorrhizum
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| Binomial name | |
| Geranium macrorrhizum | |
It has five-lobed (palmate) leaves that are aromatic when crushed, with pale pink flowers in summer. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, where it is used as a flowering groundcover, with named cultivars selected for flower colors from white through pink to magenta. The cultivars 'Ingwersen's Variety' (pale pink)[4] and 'White-ness' [5] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[6]
The plant has been used in traditional herbal medicine.[7] The name for all types of geraniums in general in the Bulgarian language is derived from the word здрав, which can translate as 'healthy', among a few related concepts. An essential oil from it is also used in aromatherapy. In addition to oils, it contains flavonoids, sesquiterpenes, phenolic acids, pigments, vitamins, and mineral salts.[citation needed]
One of the many components of the essential oil is the sesquiterpene ketone germacrone, which has been shown to have a high and selective antimicrobial activity against the species Bacillus subtilis.[7]
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White-flowered variety
References edit
- ^ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
- ^ a b "Geranium macrorrhizum". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Geranium macrorrhizum 'Ingwersen's Variety'". Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ "Geranium 'White-ness'". RHS. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
- ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 43. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ a b Niko S Radulović, Milan S Dekić, Zorica Z Stojanović-Radić, Suad K Zoranić. Geranium macrorrhizum L. (Geraniaceae) essential oil: a potent agent against Bacillus subtilis. Chemistry biodiversity (2010). Volume: 7, Issue: 11, Pages: 2783-2800
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