''Geranium'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of 422

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of annual, biennial, and

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

s that are commonly known as geraniums or cranesbills. They are found throughout the

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, but mostly in the eastern part of the Mediterranean region. The palmately cleft

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are broadly circular in form. The flowers have five petals and are coloured white, pink, purple or blue, often with distinctive veining. Geraniums will grow in any soil as long as it is not waterlogged.

Propagation Propagation can refer to: *Chain propagation in a chemical reaction mechanism *Crack propagation, the growth of a crack during the fracture of materials *Propaganda, non-objective information used to further an agenda *Reproduction, and other forms ...

is by semiripe cuttings in summer, by seed, or by division in autumn or spring. Geraniums are eaten by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

species including

brown-tail The brown-tail moth (''Euproctis chrysorrhoea'') is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is native to Europe, neighboring countries in Asia, and the north coast of Africa. Descriptions of outbreaks, i.e., large population increases of several years ...

, ghost moth, and mouse moth. At least several species of ''Geranium'' are gynodioecious. The species '' Geranium viscosissimum'' (sticky geranium) is considered to be

protocarnivorous A protocarnivorous plant (sometimes also paracarnivorous, subcarnivorous, or borderline carnivore), according to some definitions, traps and kills insects or other animals but lacks the ability to either directly digest or absorb nutrients from i ...

Name

The genus name is derived from the Greek (''géranos'') or (''geranós'') ' crane'. The English name 'cranesbill' derives from the resemblance of the fruit capsule of some of the species to a crane's head and bill. The

ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...

portion forms the head and the prolonged stigma creates the appearance of a beak.

Description

The flowers are typically five-petaled and white to purple. The leaves are palmate divided into narrow, pointed segments. The fruit capsule consists of five cells joined to a column produced from the centre of the flower. The cells form lobes which eventually separate, each containing one seed. When the fruit is ripe, the beak-like stigma springs open and casts the seeds some distance, dispersing the seeds.

Confusion with ''Pelargonium''

Confusingly, "geranium" is also the

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

of members of the genus ''

Pelargonium ''Pelargonium'' () is a genus of flowering plants that includes about 280 species of perennials, succulents, and shrubs, commonly called geraniums, pelargoniums, or storksbills. '' Geranium'' is also the botanical name and common name of a separ ...

'', which are also in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Geraniaceae and are widely grown as horticultural bedding plants. Linnaeus originally included all the species in one genus, ''Geranium'', but they were later separated into two genera by

Charles L’Héritier Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

in 1789. Other former members of the genus are now classified in '' Erodium'', including the plants known as filarees in North America. The term "hardy geranium" is often applied to horticultural ''Geranium''s to distinguish them from the ''Pelargonium''s, which are not winter-hardy in

horticulture. However, not all ''Geranium'' species are winter-hardy (see below). The shape of the flowers offers one way of distinguishing between the two genera ''Geranium'' and ''Pelargonium''. ''Geranium'' flowers have five very similar petals, and are thus radially symmetrical ( actinomorphic), whereas ''Pelargonium'' (and also ''Erodium'') flowers have two upper petals which are different from the three lower petals, so the flowers have a single plane of symmetry ( zygomorphic).

Cultivation

A number of geranium species are cultivated for horticultural use and for pharmaceutical products. Some of the more commonly grown species include: *''

Geranium albanum ''Geranium albanum'', the crested cranesbill or Albanian cranesbill, is a species of flowering plant in the family Geraniaceae, native to the Caucasus and northern Iran. A clumping perennial reaching , the Royal Horticultural Society considers it ...

'' (crested cranesbill) *'' Geranium cinereum'' *''

Geranium clarkei ''Geranium clarkei'', called Clarke's geranium, is a species of perennial flowering plant in the family Geraniaceae, native to India and cultivated for use in gardens. Description It is an herbaceous perennial growing to in height, with deepl ...

'' (Clarke's geranium) *'' Geranium dalmaticum'' *'' Geranium endressii'' (Endres's cranesbill) *''

Geranium erianthum ''Geranium erianthum'', the woolly geranium, is a flowering plant found in China, Japan, Russia, and North America. Within its range, it is often known as "wild geranium" or "cranesbill", but note that these common names are also used for several ...

'' (wooly geranium) *''

Geranium fremontii ''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, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyomin ...

'' (Fremont's geranium) *''

Geranium himalayense ''Geranium himalayense'' (common names Himalayan crane's-bill or lilac cranesbill) is a species of hardy flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the genus ''Geranium'', family Geraniaceae. It is native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, ...

'', often sold under ''Geranium grandiflorum'' *''

Geranium ibericum ''Geranium ibericum'', commonly called Caucasian crane's-bill or (in North America) Iberian geranium or Caucasus geranium, is a herbaceous plant species in the family Geraniaceae. It is native to Western Asia, including Turkey and the Caucasus ...

'' (Caucasus geranium), *'' Geranium macrorrhizum'' (bigroot cranesbill or bigroot geranium) *'' Geranium maculatum'' (wild geranium) *'' Geranium maderense'' (giant herb robert) *''

Geranium × magnificum ''Geranium'' × ''magnificum'', the purple cranesbill, is a species of hardy flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the genus ''Geranium'', family Geraniaceae. The multiplication symbol × indicates that it is the result of hybridisation, in t ...

'' (showy geranium) *''

Geranium phaeum ''Geranium phaeum'', commonly called dusky crane's-bill, mourning widow or black widow, is a herbaceous plant species in the family Geraniaceae. It is native to southern, central, and western Europe, and is cultivated as a garden subject. It has ...

'' (dusky cranesbill) *''

Geranium platypetalum ''Geranium platypetalum'', commonly called glandular crane's-bill or broad-petaled geranium, is a herbaceous plant species in the family Geraniaceae. It is native to Iran, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and the Russia, R ...

'' (broad-petaled geranium) *'' Geranium pratense'' (meadow cranesbill) *'' Geranium psilostemon'' (Armenian cranesbill) *''

Geranium renardii Geranium renardii is a species of hardiness (plants), hardy flowering herbaceous plant, herbaceous perennial plant in the genus ''Geranium'', in the family (biology), family Geraniaceae. It is native plant, native to the Caucasus region between E ...

'' (Renard geranium) *''

Geranium sanguineum ''Geranium sanguineum'', common names bloody crane's-bill or bloody geranium, is a species of hardy flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the cranesbill family Geraniaceae. It is also the county flower of Northumberland. Geranium sanguineum ...

'' (bloody cranesbill) *''

Geranium subcaulescens ''Geranium subcaulescens'' (grey cranesbill) is a species of flowering plant in the geranium family Geraniaceae, that is native to Italy, Turkey and the Balkans. A low, mounded evergreen perennial, it typically grows to tall by more than broad ...

'' (grey cranesbill) *'' Geranium sylvaticum'' (wood cranesbill) All the above species are perennials and generally winter-hardy plants, grown for their attractive flowers and foliage. They are long-lived and most have a mounding habit, with palmately lobed foliage. Some species have spreading rhizomes. They are normally grown in part shade to full sun, in well-draining but moisture retentive soils, rich in

humus In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Lati ...

. Other perennial species grown for their flowers and foliage include: '' Geranium argenteum'', '' G. eriostemon'', '' G. farreri'', '' G. nodosum'', '' G. procurrens'', '' G. pylzowianum'', '' G. renardii'', '' G. traversii'', '' G. tuberosum'', '' G. versicolor'', '' G. wallichianum'' and '' G. wlassovianum''. Some of these are not winter-hardy in cold areas and are grown in specialized gardens like rock gardens. ''Geranium'' 'Johnson's Blue' is a hybrid between ''G. himalayense'' (southwestern China), with ''G. pratense'' (European meadow cranesbill).

Cultivars

The following hybrid

cultivars A cultivar is a type of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and when Plant propagation, propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and st ...

have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

(other cultivars are dealt with under their species name - see above):- *'Ann Folkard' *'A. T. Johnson' (''G.'' × ''oxonianum'') *'Ballerina' *'Blue Cloud' *='Blogold' (

PBR PBR may refer to: Science and technology * Passive bistatic radar * Partition boot record * Pebble bed reactor, a type of nuclear reactor * Peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, another name for translocator protein * Phosphorus bromide * Photobio ...

) *'Brookside' *'Danny Boy' *'Dilys' *'Gypsy' (''G.'' × ''lindavicum'') *'Ivan' *'Mavis Simpson' *'Nimbus' *'Orion' *='Brempat' *='Gerfos' *='Gerwat' *'Russell Prichard' *'Sirak' *'Wageningen' *'Wargrave Pink' (''G.'' × ''oxonianum'')

Gallery

File:Geranium maculatum - wild cranesbill - desc-flower straight on.jpg, Pink Geranium Flower

Pink Geranium File:Pelargonium Flower 175816.jpg, Pink Wild Geranium File:Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum).jpg, '' Geranium maculatum'' File:Illustration Geranium phaeum0.jpg, ''

'' - from Thomé ''Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz'' 1885 File:Geranium platypetalum1.jpg, ''

'' File:Geranium sanguineum0.jpg, ''

'' File:Geranium pratense (Meadow Cranesbill).jpg, '' Geranium pratense'' (meadow cranesbill) File:Geranium-robertianum(Samen).jpg, ''

Geranium robertianum ''Geranium robertianum'', commonly known as herb-Robert, or (in North America) Roberts geranium, is a common species of cranesbill native to Europe and parts of Asia, and North Africa. The plant has many vernacular names, including red robin, de ...

'' (herb robert) File:GeraniumMaderense.jpg, '' Geranium maderense'' File:Wildgeranium.jpg, '' Geranium maculatum'' File:Starr 980718-1820 Geranium arboreum.jpg, '' Geranium arboreum'' File:Płatek bodziszka.jpg, Geranium petal under the microscope

References

Bibliography

*
Genus ''Geranium'' in North America: the Perennials

External links

ITIS list of Geranium species

Geranium Taxonomic Information System

Preparing Geraniums for Winter
{{Authority control Geraniales genera Garden plants Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus