Geranium ocellatum Cambess. ex Jacquem.

A straggling species, variable in size, found from 1000-2400 m -in Swat, Hazara and Kashmir. Plant parts are astringent.

Mericarps of Geranium ocellatum are quite similar to those of G. molle, although they have deeper transverse wrinkles. The spotted petals and dark anthers and stigma unequivocally identify G. ocellatum.

A diffuse slender annual, pubescent or hairy-glandular. Leaves suborbicular or reniform, minutely pubescent, 8-50 mm broad, lobulate, palmatifid or partite; lobes obtuse or acute; upper cauline leaves sometimes ternate and smaller. Stipules lanceolate or subulate, hairy. Flowers 12-15 mm broad. Bracts c. 2.5 mm long, linear-lanceolate. Sepals 44.5 mm long, apiculate, glandular-hairy, ciliate. Petals obovate, c. twice as long as the sepals, pink with a dark base, ciliate. Filaments glabrous. Beak (7-) 9-14 mm long; mericarps transversely rugose. Seed c. 1.5-2 mm, long, minutely reticulate, acute at one end.

Annuals. Stem 9-37 cm tall, erect or ascending, not rooting at nodes, with 0.4-2.4 mm patent nonglandular trichomes, 0.1-0.3 mm uncinate nonglandular trichomes, and usually 0.2-0.4 mm patent glandular trichomes. Stipules lanceolate, distinct. Leaves opposite; petiole with 0.5-2.7 mm patent nonglandular trichomes, 0.1-0.3 mm uncinate nonglandular trichomes, and usually 0.2-0.3 mm patent glandular trichomes; leaf blade 1.3-6.7 cm, palmately cleft, ratio of main sinus/middle segment length = 0.63-0.83, pilose with ± appressed nonglandular and glandular trichomes; segments 5-7, rhombic, 3-11 mm wide at base, 3-19-lobed in distal half, ratio of second sinus/middle segment length = 0.14-0.29. Cymules solitary, (1 or)2-flowered, sometimes grouped at nodes with short or no peduncles; peduncle (0-)1-9.4 cm. Pedicel 0.5-2.2 cm, with 0.1-0.3 mm patent to uncinate nonglandular trichomes and usually 0.3-0.5 mm patent glandular trichomes; bracteoles lanceolate. Sepals 3.4-7.2 mm, mucro 0.2-1 mm, ratio of mucro/sepal length = 0.05-0.21, outside with 0.1-2.2 mm ± patent nonglandular trichomes and 0.3-0.6 mm patent glandular trichomes, inside glabrous. Petals purplish with a dark basal spot, 3.1-7.5 mm, erect to patent, both surfaces glabrous, margin basally ciliate, apex rounded. Staminal filaments white with dark purplish apex, lanceolate, glabrous; anthers purplish, 0.7-1.1 mm. Nectaries 5, hemispheric, glabrous. Stigma dark purplish. Fruit 1-1.7 cm, erect when immature; mericarps transversely wrinkled, without a basal callus, glabrous; rostrum 0.8-1.4 cm, without a narrowed apex; stigmatic remains 0.2-0.7 mm. Seeds 1.3-2.4 mm. Fl. Feb-Apr, fr. Apr-May. 2n = 56.

Afghanistan, Himalaya (Kashmir to Nepal), N. Assam, W. China.

Distribution: Highlands of E. Africa, Afghanistan, temperate and subtropical Himalaya, Yunnan (China).

Guangxi, Guizhou, S Sichuan (Huili), Yunnan [Afghanistan, NE India, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan; Africa, W Asia].

900-2400 m

Fl. Per.: March-April.

Meadows, farmland; (700-)1600-2200 m.

Geranium kweichowense C. C. Huang; G. ocellatum var. yunnanense R. Knuth; G. tapintzense C. C. Huang.