Erodium

and California

This site was created and is maintained by Benjamin Coultrup.

Photos all ©Benjamin Coultrup unless otherwise indicated, 1984-2021.

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Erodium

Classification

Species

Clade I, Subclade 1

Subgenus Erodium

 - Section Erodium

 - Section Oxyrynchia

 - stephanianum group

Clade I, Subclade 2

Subgenus Barbata

 - Section  Absinthoidea

Clade II, Subclade 3

 - cygnorum group

Clade II, Subclade 4

 - botrys group

 - Section Cicutaria,

   - Subsection Cicutaria

   - Subsection Acaulia

 - Section Malacoidea

   - Subsection Reichardia

   - Subsection Malacoidea

 - Section Foetida

California

Literature and References

Notes

Erodium carvifolium and castellanum

Erodium carvifolium Boiss. & Reut. was first named and described by Boissier and Reuter in 1842.

Erodium castellanum (Pau) Guitt. was originally described as Erodium romanum var. castellanum Pau in 1906.

Erodium castellanum (Pau) Guitt. was named as a full species in Contribution a l’etude biosystematique du genre Erodium L’Her (1972). Professor Guy-Georges Guittoneau found E. castellanum is genetically isolated from E. carvifolium sens strict.. In his experiments, he could only produce sterile plants i.e. plants that would not set seed, when crossing the two species, and then only with E. carvifolium sens strict. as the seed parent, he could not produce a plant with E. castellanum as the seed parent.

Interestingly, E. castellanum will cross with E. manescavi both ways to give fertile plants, E. carvifolium sens strict. will not.

These 2 species have recently been merged as one species, Erodium carvifolium, in Flora Iberica, but are kept as separate species here, for the reasons given above.

Erodium carvifolium sens strict. Boiss. Et Reuter

Clade II; Subclade 4; Section Cicutaria, Subsection Acaulia

Stemless perennial with leaves up to 150mm, pinnate, not flat but 3 dimensional.

Leaves: Leaflets rather hard, ultimate segments linear; stipules brown.

Inflorescence: Umbels of 3-10 flowers rise from the rosettes; bracts brown, 3-4mm long; petals violet, upper two larger, with black basal blotch.

Fruit: Mericarp eglandular; no noticeable furrows beneath the circular foveole, which has a ciliate external border; beak 30-40mm. 2n=20

Distribution: endemic to West & central Spain - Sierra Guadarrama, Sierra Gredos and Sierra de Bejar, in pinewood glades and mountain pastures, flowers in summer.

Publication details: Boiss. & Reut. In: Diagn. Pl. Nov. Hisp. 9. (1842).

Distribution: In stony soils, in pastures (800) 1000-2000 m – in 3 distinct areas

1. NW of the Tiberico System -Urbion, Neila and Cameros - corresponding to E. castellanum

2. Central System -Guadarrama, Gredos and Sierra de Bejar - corresponding to E. carvifolium

3. Montes de Leon and Aledanos, C of the Cantabrian Range - corresponding to E. castellanum

Erodium carvifolium; Marie Addymans Collection at Hampton Court Show - 08/07/1993