Erodium cicutarium
(L.) L’Hér. ex Aiton Common Heron's-billAscending to decumbent annual to 40 cm high, or often remaining as a rosette; stems and petioles with mostly eglandular hairs with some sessile to very short glandular hairs. Leaf lamina c. oblong-ovate in outline, 2–12 cm long, 1–4 cm wide, pinnate, leaflets 3–15 mm long, deeply (bi)pinnatifid, coarsely hirsute away from the midrib; petiole 0.5–7 cm long. Inflorescence (1–)2–5-flowered; peduncle 2–8 cm long (to 10 cm in fruit); pedicels 4–10(–18) mm long; sepals 3–6 mm long (to 8 mm in fruit), hirsute wtih eglandular hairs and sometimes sessile glands; petals slightly longer that sepals, pink, often lined or spotted darker near base. Mericarps 5–6.5 mm long, with one prominent glabrous pit on either side at base of awn; awn 3.5–5 cm long. Flowers mostly Sep.–Dec.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, Brid, VVP, VRiv, MSB, RobP, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, VAlp. Naturalised all States except NT. Native to Mediterranean region. Apart from wet, shaded sites and higher altitudes, common and widespread in agricultural land, roadsides and open bushland sites almost throughout the State.
Smith, L.P.; Walsh, N.G. (1999). Geraniaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 218–242. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
