Geranium pusillum

Small cranesbill (Geranium pusillum )

The little cranesbill (Geranium pusillum ) is a common species in Central Europe, belongs to the family of the Geranium Family ( Geraniaceae ).

Description

The little cranesbill is a one-or two-year plant ( summer or winterannuell ). It has a thin pole root which can reach 60 cm in depth. He attained stature heights of 15 to 30 cm. The stems are prostrate or ascending and 50 (rarely 70) cm long. They are highly branched, spreading short hair, often glabrous, at the top of most glandular hairy.

The leaves of the basal rosette are stalked 4 to 8 cm long. Your leaf blade is 1 to 3 cm wide, roundish in outline and 3/4 in 5-7 (rarely 9 ) divided lobes. The stem leaves are opposite, near the flowers seemingly alternate. They are stalked 0.5 to 5 cm long. Your leaf blade is 2-3 (rarely 5 ) cm wide, soft hairy on both sides and 3 /5 to 4/5 divided into 5 to 7 lobes. The tabs themselves are (rarely two to five ) most dreizipfelig. The stipules are small, pointed and ciliated.

The partial inflorescences are usually two flowered, the bracts extend beyond most. They are 3 to 10, the lowest even up to 20 mm long stalks. The flower stalks themselves are 6-12 mm long, straddling, down beaten, then straight back to fruit ripening. Stem as calyx carry 0.1 to 0.2 mm long, protruding glandular and glandular hairs loose. The hermaphrodite, radial symmetry, five petals have a diameter of more than 1 cm. The five hairy sepals are usually 2.5 to 5.5 mm ( 1-6 mm ) long and short apiculate. In addition to the short hair they also carry 0.5 to 1 mm long silk hair. The five pale purple petals are about as long as the calyx with a length of 2.5 to 4 mm. They are weakly emarginate and the nail is ciliated. Three to five of the ten stamens are reduced to staminodes. The stamens are whitish and the anthers are purple. The scars are purple.

The fruit is as with all members of the genus, a spreader is dehydration, hairy pressed and 8 to 12 mm long. The fruit valves are about 22 mm long, tight -fitting but not glandular hairy. The bill bears fruit fluff and short glandular hairs. The seeds are smooth and light brown.

The chromosome number is 2n = 26, 34 or 36

Ecology

The flowering period extends from May to October. The flowers are slightly proterogyn. In addition to insect pollination and self-pollination occurs frequently. As pollinators act Syrphidae, small Apoiden and grave wasps. The inflorescence is equipped with stalked glands, which small insects but does not prevent Aufkriechen.

The fruits are glandular young, they act as a spreader and spin drying fruit; they reach a throw distance up to 1.90 m. The appressed hairy fruits take part eager for water and adhere very well to moist - wet vertebrates. This results in their proliferation as water Hafter and as Bodenkriecher on periodically wet soils. In addition, a processing distribution is carried out by birds and spread by a random Artiodactyla. Fruit ripening is between June and October.

Dissemination and locations

The little cranesbill comes from North Africa to Europe and West Asia ( Afghanistan, Kashmir, Russia) before and has a temperate to meridional, rather oceanic circulation.

It grows along roadsides, village squares, vineyards in nutrient-rich, mostly calcium-poor, often sandy to loamy soils. He is an outspoken nitrogen pointer. He comes from the colline prior to the montane (rarely subalpine ) height level.

Swell

• Small cranesbill. In: FloraWeb.de.