Long Heron's-bill - introduced (*Erodium botrys)

Other names: Big Stork's-bill, Long Stork's-bill

Family: Geraniaceae (Geranium family).

Native to the Mediterranean region.

Occurrence: Widespread and very common in pastures and roadsides.

Erodiums differ from other members of the geranium family in that the flowers are radially symmetrical, and the flowers are in groups of more than two. All have the seeds contained in beaks.

Identification:

• the plants are prostrate or semi-prostrate
• the leaves are in a basal rosette
• the leaves are lobed. The lower leaves are shallowly lobed, the upper leaves are almost divided into leaflets
• the flowers are purplish to blue
• the fruit are in long beaks which are usually more than 8.5cm long.

Photos 1: Maldon. 2: Leaf rosette. Castlemaine. 3: Lawn weed, growing with clover. Castlemaine.

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