Himalayan Crane's Bill

Differs from the European and C. Asiatic Geranium pretense in its more or less ascending habit, the angular and smaller leaves, shorter sepal awn and larger petal length (17-20 mm long). The size of the flower is variable. Specimen no. 127 from Sho Nala (Swat) has the facies of Geranium nuristanicum but differs in the glandular pedicels and larger flower parts.

This species is quite similar to Geranium pratense. In addition to characters mentioned in the key, G. himalayense has leaf blades with 5 sometimes overlapped segments and relatively shorter pedicels.

Stems 15- 30 cm. Leaves deeply divided into 5 segments. Flowers violet with purple venation. V - mid-spring to late autumn. Fl - throughout the summer. Fr - July-September. P - easily by division of rhizome and by seed. Requires a well-drained soil and sunny site protected from the afternoon sun. Very suitable for the rock garden and flower beds. Z 5.

Perennial. Rhizome stout, oblique. Stem(s) ascending, pubescent-retrorsely hairy. Leaves palmatisect, 5-7-angled, 3-10 cm broad. Segments rhomboid to acute, adpressed hairy or pubescent, lobes acute or obtuse. Stipules 6-9 mm long, subulate-lanceolate. Petiole of radical leaves up to 23 cm long, upper most cauline leaves sessile. Peduncles 2-flowered, 3-14 cm long, glandular hairy, sometimes retrorsely pubescent. Bracts similar to stipules, (0.3-) 0.6-1 cm long, scarious and brown, pubescent. Pedicel 0.9-3 cm long, glandular-hairy or pubescent, deflexed in fruit. Flowers 3-3.5 cm broad. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, 0.8-1 cm long, glandular-pubescent, awn 1.5-2.5 mm long. Petals purple blue, 16-22 mm long, claw ciliate. Filaments gradually narrowed upwards, base ciliate. Mericarps 4 mm long, pubescent glandular. Beak 18-22 mm long, glandular pubescent. Seeds c. 3 mm long, minutely reticulate.

Perennials. Rootstock ± horizontal, 7.4-11 mm in diam., not tuberculate; roots unknown. Stem 9-32 cm tall, erect, not rooting at nodes, with 0.2-0.8 mm retrorse to patent nonglandular trichomes and sometimes 0.2-0.7 mm patent glandular trichomes. Stipules lanceolate, distinct. Leaves opposite; petiole with 0.2-0.6 mm retrorse to patent nonglandular trichomes and sometimes 0.2-0.8 mm patent glandular trichomes; leaf blade 2.2-3.8(-5.5) cm, palmately cleft, ratio of main sinus/middle segment length = 0.65-0.79(-0.86), pilose with appressed nonglandular trichomes; segments 5, rhombic, 2.9-9.8 mm wide at base, 8-19-lobed in distal half, ratio of second sinus/middle segment length = 0.17-0.33. Cymules solitary, 2-flowered; peduncle 2.5-10.8 cm. Pedicel 0.2-2.1 cm, with 0.2-0.5 mm patent to retrorse nonglandular trichomes and 0.2-1.2 mm patent glandular trichomes; bracteoles lanceolate. Sepals 6.7-11.3 mm, mucro 0.7-1.3(-1.9) mm, ratio of mucro/sepal length = 0.09-0.16, outside with 0.1-0.5 mm patent nonglandular trichomes and 0.3-1.1 mm patent glandular trichomes, inside glabrous. Petals deep blue to whitish, (1.2-)1.4-2.1 cm, erect to patent, both surfaces glabrous, margin basally ciliate, apex rounded. Staminal filaments purplish, lanceolate with a broadly triangular base and an abruptly narrowed apex, both sides glabrous but proximal third with 0.2-0.3 mm cilia; anthers dark blue, 1.9-2.7 mm. Nectaries 5, hemispheric, abaxially glabrous, apex with a tuft of trichomes. Stigma pink to purplish. Fruit 2.7-3 cm, reflexed when immature; mericarps smooth but usually with 1 or 2 transversal veins at apex, with a basal callus, with 0.2-0.3 mm ± appressed nonglandular trichomes and usually only apically with 0.6-0.7 mm patent glandular trichomes; rostrum 2.1-2.4 cm, with a 7-8.9 mm narrowed apex; stigmatic remains 1.9-2.2 mm. Seeds 3-3.2 mm. Fl. Jun-Jul, fr. Aug-Sep.

C. Asia, Afganistan, Himalaya (Kashmir to Nepal).

Central Asia (Pamiro Alay). In alpine meadows, on grassy slopes.

Distribution: N.W. temperate Himalaya, Afghanistan.

S and W Xizang [Afghanistan, N India, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan].

2500-4200 m

Fl. Per.: July-August.

Subalpine and alpine meadows; 3700-4400 m.

Geranium grandiflorum Edgeworth (1846), not Linnaeus (1753); G. meeboldii Briquet.

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 to West Himalaya, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Tibet, and Uzbekistan.

It has a sprawling habit, violet-blue flowers and deeply cut palmate foliage. It grows in alpine and subalpine meadows.