''Geranium caespitosum'', the purple cluster geranium or pineywoods geranium, is a perennial herb native to the western United States and northern Mexico. Its US distribution includes

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, and

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

.''Geranium caespitosum''.
PLANTS Profile. USDA. Accessed 23 June 2013. It has a purple to red flower with 5 stamens, and the

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s are acuminate, tapering with a long point. It has palmately lobed leaves. The fruit is a

schizocarp A schizocarp is a dry fruit that, when mature, splits up into mericarps. There are different definitions: * Any dry fruit composed of multiple carpels that separate. : Under this definition the mericarps can contain one or more seeds (the m ...

made up of 5 mericarps. Flowers bloom May to September. It grows in damp soils, as in the understory of coniferous forests and in canyons.

Uses

The

Gosiute The Goshutes are a tribe of Western Shoshone Native Americans. There are two federally recognized Goshute tribes today: * Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, located in Nevada and Utah * Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians of Utah ...

use the plant as an astringent and a decoction of the root to treat diarrhea. The

Keres In Greek mythology, the Keres (; Ancient Greek: Κῆρες), singular Ker (; Κήρ), were female death-spirits. They were the goddesses who personified violent death and who were drawn to bloody deaths on battlefields. Although they were pre ...

use roots crushed into a paste to treat sores, and the whole plant as turkey food.''Geranium caespitosum''.
Native American Ethnobotany. University of Michigan - Dearborn. Accessed 23 June 2013.

Varieties

The four

varieties Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

may known by the following common names: *''G. c.'' var. ''caespitosum'' – pineywoods geranium *''G. c.'' var. ''eremophilum'' – purple cluster geranium *''G. c.'' var. ''fremontii'' – Fremont's geranium *''G. c.'' var. ''parryi'' – Parry's geranium In the United States, all four varieties are found in Arizona and New Mexico, and the purple cluster geranium is only found there. The other varieties are all found in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, and the pineywoods variety extends into Nevada and Texas.

Image gallery

File:Geraniumcaespitosum1.jpg, red individual File:Purple geranium Geranium caespitosum (7924069478).jpg, lilac individual Image:Geraniumcaespitosumleaf.JPG, foliage Image:Geraniaceae - Geranium caespitosum var fremontii-1.JPG, var. ''fremontii'' Image:Geraniaceae - Geranium caespitosum var fremontii-2.JPG, var. ''fremontii''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5549860 caespitosum Plants described in 1823 Flora of Arizona Flora of Colorado Flora of New Mexico Flora of Nevada Flora of Texas Flora of Utah Flora of Wyoming Flora of Mexico Flora of the United States Flora without expected TNC conservation status