Geranium sp. 7
Smith, L.P. (1999). Geranium. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 219–233. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Tufted perennial, 3–18 cm high; stems absent or short, not exceeding basal leaves, with sparse, minute, retrorsely appressed hairs; taproot fleshy or c. woody with matted lateral roots. Leaves orbicular to reniform, 0.8–2.6 cm long, palmatifid to palmatisect with 5–7 broad, usually trifid, often toothed primary lobes; ultimate lobes obtuse to acute; upper surface with tiny appressed hairs; stipules broad elliptic to ovate, long-acuminate. Flowers solitary; peduncles 0–4.3 cm long; pedicels to 1.8 cm long. Sepals narrow-ovate to -obovate 5–6 mm long, acute, pubescent with short appressed hairs and longer coarse hairs on margin, mucro to c. 1.5 mm long; petals obovate, 5.5–6 mm long, obtuse, pale pink to almost white, subequal to sepals; anthers pink to mauve with fine purple dehiscence lines. Fruits 10–13 mm long; mericarps glabrescent, suture margins not ciliate; seed red-brown, smooth with minute shallow, c. isodiametric alveolae. Flowers Dec.–Apr.
VAlp. Restricted to shallow, seasonally inundated depressions and moist herbfields of subalpine and alpine areas on the Snowy Range and Bogong High Plains.
This species is characterized by its usually lax rosette habit and the short-stalked single flowers with pale pink to white petals which do not exceed sepals, and the entire plant appearing glabrous or with minute retrorse appressed indumentum. Carolin (1964) considered this taxon to be a hybrid between G. sessiliflorum subsp. brevicaule and G. potentilloides var. abditum. However, its morphological and ecological distinctiveness, and the frequent absence of at least the latter purported ‘parent’ taxon, suggest that it is more likely to be a distinct species with strong affinities to the G. sessiliflorum group. Relationships with G. sessiliflorum subsp. novaezelandiae Carolin and subsp. sessiliflorum, from New Zealand and South America respectively, require clarification to confirm the appropriate rank of this taxon.
Smith, L.P. (1999). Geranium. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 219–233. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning