How to identify Geranium pusillum (Small-flowered Crane’s Bill)
This project collects observations of Geranium pusillum (Small-flowered Crane's-Bill) in California to facilitate identification and prevent misidentification of this species.
Photo tips:
- It’s important to get a picture of the entire plant.
- It's also helpful to get close-up pictures of the face of the flowers, sepals, leaves, and fruits, if present.
- If there are multiple plants in the picture, it’s helpful to crop your photo to focus on the plant of interest.
How to identify Geranium pusillum:
- Leaves: The leaves are simple, 1.5-5 cm broad, palmately divided into 7 wedge-shaped segments. Leaf segments are typically 3-lobed, round in outline, and somewhat hairy. The leaf shape is similar to G. molle
- Flowers: The inflorescence is 2-flowered. Flowers are radial, on pedicels 6‒16 mm; 5 sepals are 3‒4.5 mm, not ridged, mucronate or with short awns, not bristle-tipped; petals 2‒3 mm, somewhat notched or shallowly lobed, always very light pinkish violet. There are 10 stamens, 5 of which are fertile. The sepals have long hairs.
- Habitat: Disturbed open places.
- Flowering Time: March through September
Similar Species:
- Geranium molle (Dove's-foot Crane's-Bill)
- Geranium core-core (Alderney’s Crane’s-Bill)
How to differentiate G. pusillum from G. molle:
- G. pusillum has larger flowers that are more shallowly lobed; G. molle flowers are much smaller and more deeply lobed.
- G. pusillum always has very light pinkish violet flowers; G. molle has darker pink flowers.
- G. pusillum has narrower petals and its petal veins are not prominent; G. molle has flowers with broader petals and prominent veins within the petal.
- G. pusillum has petals 1 to 1.5 times the length of the sepals; G. molle has petals about 2x as long as the sepals.
How to differentiate G. pusillum from G. core-core:
- G. pusillum flowers are always a very light pinkish violet; G. core-coreflowers are a darker pink to purple.
- G. pusillum flowers are narrower and more deeply notched; G. core-core petals are broader and not so distinctly notched.
- G. pusillum sepals are covered in long hairs; G. core-core sepals are smooth, not hairy.
References:
- Calflora: https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=3803
- Jepson eFlora: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=26738
- Cambridge Wildflowers: http://cambridgewildflowers.blogspot.com/2019/09/dovesfoot-cranesbill-vs-small-flowered.html
iNaturalist:
** https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/60204-Geranium-pusillum
** https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/geranium-pusillum-small-flowered-crane-s-bill
** https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/geraniums-cranesbills-california
