Erodium keithii

Leaves: Leaves simple, entire to 3-lobed, middle lobe with 3-5 lobules, lateral lobe with 2 lobules outline triangular with round base; stipules membraneous, ovate, ciliate on margins, acute, brown.

Inflorescence: umbel 4-7 flowered; bracts 3-6, free, lanceolate-ovate, ciliate on margins; petals deep pink or bright red, nearly equal, all same colour and markings none, 3 nerved, 1.5x sepals, claw glabrescent; sepals lanceolate, 3-7 nerved; staminode glabrous; fertile filaments lanceolate, glabrous.

Fruit: rostrum 4-5cm; mericarps oblong, 5-5.5mm, antrorsely hairy; foveole without or with a very faint or inconspicuous furrow, glabrous; awn with 9-14 turns on the spiral. 2n=60 Guitt.

Distribution: endemic to Libya around Cyrenaica in karst ravines.

Like E. chium/E. malacoides but staminodes are glabrous, as are the filaments; awn has 9-14 turns, is fibrous, serrate; foveole is glabrous; beak 4-5cm

Synonym: Erodium malacoides var. cyrenaicum Maire & Weiller (1939)