Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Geranium rotundifolium

Family

Geraniaceae

Flowering season

April to August

English distribution

It is found in the Midlands - south of the Wash, East Anglia,

the Southeast, the South and the Southwest. It is scatered

in parts of the North.

See the BSBI distribution map for Round-leaved

 Crane's-bill 

Habitat

It grows on the top and at the base of walls, hedgebanks,

in dry rocky habitats, on wasteland and by roads and

railways.

It can be a garden weed and grows in the cracks in

pavements.

It is increasing.

Description

Round-leaved Crane's-bill is a native, annual much

branched herb, growing up to 40cm.

The flowers are pink and the petals are rounded or

only slightly indented.

They are up to 12mm across, but seem smaller

because they appear less open than other Crane’s-bills.

See picture 4 for comparison with Herb Robert.

The 10 stamens with blue anthers.

The 3 stigmas form linear arches - not shown in

flower pictures, but visible on fruits in picture 6.

The sepals are ovate, pointed and glandular.

The beak of the fruit is up to 15mm long and the

seeds are a t its base.

Ripe fruits are black.

The leaves are almost round and made up of up

to 7 lobes, each lobe with 3 minor lobes.

The stems are much branched and both erect and

sprawling.

The branching gives a bushy appearance.

Stems are red, hairy and glandular.

The whole plant feels sticky and if you handle it your

hand become oily.