WOOD CRANESBILL

Geranium Sylvaticum

Cranesbill (Geranium) Family [Geraniaceae]  

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flower
flower8bicolour		 flower
flower8blue		 inner
inner8white		 morph
morph8actino		 petals
petalsZ5		 stem
stem8round

10th June 2009, Extinct Newbiggin on Lune/Kirby Stephen Railway. Photo: © RWD
Parallel lines of Wood Cranesbill each side of the cutting continuing for a kilometre.


10th June 2009, Extinct Newbiggin on Lune/Kirby Stephen Railway. Photo: © RWD
Jizz like Meadow Cranesbill but flowers are more mauve in colour and with a white centre.


14th May 2011, Lancaster Canal, nr Sedgewick. Photo: © RWD
Un-opened flower buds have closed sepals, the mid-ribs of which extend well beyond the end of the sepal to criss-cross each other. Hairy stems; leaves with a satin sheen.


10th June 2009, Extinct Newbiggin on Lune/Kirby Stephen Railway. Photo: © RWD
Central white section is more pronounced than in Meadow Cranesbill.


14th May 2011, Lancaster Canal, nr Sedgewick. Photo: © RWD
Five petals and ten stamens bearing blue/purple anthers and a central red 'beak, the beginnings of the 'storks' bill' that is a means and mechanism of seed dispersal in Geraniums (Storksbills).


10th June 2009, Extinct Newbiggin on Lune/Kirby Stephen Railway. Photo: © RWD
Petals sometimes slightly notched.


14th May 2011, Lancaster Canal, nr Sedgewick. Photo: © RWD
A triplet of flowers, now mostly bereft of petals. stems and sepals hairy.


14th May 2011, Lancaster Canal, nr Sedgewick. Photo: © RWD
The petals now gone, and only two purple anthers remaining on the 10 stamens. The five green sepals have both hairy edges and an extended mid-rib that protrudes well beyond the end of the sepal.


10th June 2009, Extinct Newbiggin on Lune/Kirby Stephen Railway. Photo: © RWD
The 'Crane's bills' forming. When ripe they point upwards.


10th June 2009, Extinct Newbiggin on Lune/Kirby Stephen Railway. Photo: © RWD
The stamens are now being enveloped in a reddish pitcher with an opening at the top.


10th June 2009, Extinct Newbiggin on Lune/Kirby Stephen Railway. Photo: © RWD
Leaves less deeply cut than those of Meadow Cranesbill.


14th May 2011, Lancaster Canal, nr Sedgewick. Photo: © RWD
Leaves not as deeply cut as those of Meadow Cranesbill.

Some similarities to : Meadow Cranesbill but that has leaves that are more deeply cut and flowers that are much more blue than mauve. Purple Cranesbill has flowers that are purple rather than mauve. Bloody Cranesbill has brilliant red flowers and thin and deeply cut leaves. Also, the flowers of Wood Cranesbill are smaller than any of these other cranesbills named here and the ripened fruit stalks are held upright.

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Distribution
family8Cranesbill family8Geranium family8Geraniaceae
BSBI maps
genus8geranium
Geranium

WOOD CRANESBILL

Geranium Sylvaticum

Cranesbill (Geranium) Family [Geraniaceae]