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Geranium

January 01, 1970

This article is about the botanical genus called Geranium. For the summer bedding "geranium", see Pelargonium. For other uses, see Geranium (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with germanium.

Geranium is a genus of 422 species of annual, biennial, and perennial plants that are commonly known as geraniums or cranesbills. They are found throughout the temperate regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, with the greatest diversity in the eastern part of the Mediterranean region.[1]

Geranium
Geranium dissectum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Geraniales
Family: Geraniaceae
Genus: Geranium
L.
Species

See list.

The palmately cleft leaves are broadly circular in form. The flowers have five petals and are coloured white, pink, purple, or blue, often with distinctive veining.[1] Geraniums will grow in any soil as long as it is not waterlogged.[2] Propagation is by semiripe cuttings in summer, by seed, or by division in autumn or spring.[3]

Geraniums are eaten by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including brown-tail, ghost moth, and mouse moth. At least several species of Geranium are gynodioecious.[4][5][6] The species Geranium viscosissimum (sticky geranium) is considered to be protocarnivorous.[7]

Name edit

 
Floral diagram of a Geranium garden hybrid called ‘Ann Thomson’, showing 5 free sepals, 5 free petals, 10 free fertile stamens, and a superior ovary consisting of 5 merged carpels, with 5 style branches

The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek γέρανος (géranos) 'crane'. The English name 'cranesbill' derives from the resemblance of the fruit capsule of some of the species to a crane's head and bill. The ovary portion forms the head and the prolonged stigma creates the appearance of a beak.[8][9]

Description edit

The flowers are typically five-petaled and white to purple. The leaves are palmate divided into narrow, pointed segments.[8]

The fruit capsule consists of five cells joined to a column produced from the centre of the flower. The cells form lobes which eventually separate, each containing one seed.[8] When the fruit is ripe, the beak-like stigma springs open and casts the ovoid, streamlined seeds some distance, dispersing the seeds.[10]

Confusion with Pelargonium edit

 
The "bill" and seed dispersal mechanism of G. pratense

Confusingly, "geranium" is also the common name of members of the genus Pelargonium, which are also in the family Geraniaceae and are widely grown as horticultural bedding plants. Linnaeus originally included all the species in one genus, Geranium, but they were later separated into two genera by Charles L’Héritier in 1789.[11] Other former members of the genus are now classified in Erodium, including the plants known as filarees in North America.[12]

The term "hardy geranium" is often applied to horticultural Geraniums to distinguish them from the Pelargoniums, which are not winter-hardy in temperate horticulture.[13][14] However, not all Geranium species are winter-hardy (see below).[15]

The shape of the flowers offers one way of distinguishing between the two genera Geranium and Pelargonium. Geranium flowers have five very similar petals, and are thus radially symmetrical (actinomorphic), whereas Pelargonium (and also Erodium) flowers have two upper petals which are different from the three lower petals, so the flowers have a single plane of symmetry (zygomorphic).[16][17]

Cultivation edit

A number of geranium species are cultivated for horticultural use and for pharmaceutical products. Some of the more commonly grown species include:

All the above species are perennials and generally winter-hardy plants, grown for their attractive flowers and foliage. They are long-lived and most have a mounding habit, with palmately lobed foliage. Some species have spreading rhizomes. They are normally grown in part shade to full sun, in well-draining but moisture retentive soils, rich in humus.[18] Other perennial species grown for their flowers and foliage include: Geranium argenteum, G. eriostemon, G. farreri, G. nodosum, G. procurrens, G. pylzowianum, G. renardii, G. traversii, G. tuberosum, G. versicolor, G. wallichianum, and G. wlassovianum. Some of these are not winter-hardy in cold areas and are grown in specialized gardens like rock gardens.[19] Geranium 'Johnson's Blue' is a hybrid between G. himalayense (southwestern China), with G. pratense (European meadow cranesbill).[20]

Cultivars edit

 
Close up of a geranium flower (probably not 'Johnson's Blue')

The following hybrid cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (other cultivars are dealt with under their species name - see above):-[21]

  • 'Ann Folkard'[22]
  • 'A. T. Johnson' (G. × oxonianum)[23]
  • 'Ballerina' [24]
  • 'Blue Cloud'[25]
  • Blue Sunrise='Blogold' (PBR) [26]
  • 'Brookside' [27]
  • 'Danny Boy'[28]
  • 'Dilys'[29]
  • 'Gypsy' (G. × lindavicum)[30]
  • 'Ivan' [31]
  • 'Mavis Simpson'[32]
  • 'Nimbus' [33]
  • 'Orion'[34]
  • Patricia='Brempat'[35]
  • Rothbury Gem='Gerfos'[36]
  • Rozanne='Gerwat'[37]
  • 'Russell Prichard'[38]
  • 'Sirak'[39]
  • 'Wageningen'[40]
  • 'Wargrave Pink' (G. × oxonianum)[41]

Gallery edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Allaby, Michael (26 August 2015). The Dictionary of Science for Gardeners: 6000 Scientific Terms Explored and Explained. Timber Press. ISBN 978-1-60469-483-3. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  2. ^ Tibballs, Geoff (2017-03-09). 100 Plants That Won't Die in Your Garden. Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN 978-1-4721-3800-2.
  3. ^ Brickell, Christopher (2011-08-15). American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-7566-7508-0.
  4. ^ Hessing, M.B. 1989. Variation in self-fertility and floral characters of Geranium caespitosum (Geraniaceae) along an elevational gradient. Plant Systematics and Evolution 166:225-241.
  5. ^ Van Etten and Chang 2014. Frequency-dependent pollinator discrimination acts against female plants in the gynodioecious Geranium maculatum Annals of Botany 114:1769–1778
  6. ^ Elzinga, Jelmer A.; Varga, Sandra (2017). "Prolonged stigma and flower lifespan in females of the gynodioecious plant Geranium sylvaticum" (PDF). Flora. 226: 72–81. doi:10.1016/j.flora.2016.11.007. S2CID 85558947.
  7. ^ Spomer, George G. (1999). "Evidence of Protocarnivorous Capabilities in Geranium viscosissimum and Potentilla arguta and Other Sticky Plants". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 160 (1): 98–101. doi:10.1086/314109. ISSN 1058-5893.
  8. ^ a b c Taylor, Ronald J. (1994) [1992]. Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary (rev. ed.). Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Pub. Co. p. 62. ISBN 0-87842-280-3. OCLC 25708726.
  9. ^ "Geranium homeanum". Australian Plants Society. 17 January 2024. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  10. ^ Stamp, Nancy E.; Lucas, Jeffrey R. (1983). "Ecological Correlates of Explosive Seed Dispersal". Oecologia. 59 (2/3): 272–278. ISSN 0029-8549. JSTOR 4217097.
  11. ^ Lis-Balchin, Maria (2002-10-03). Geranium and Pelargonium: History of Nomenclature, Usage and Cultivation. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-203-21653-8.
  12. ^ Armitage, Allan M. (2008-05-01). Herbaceous Perennial Plants: A Treatise on their Identification, Culture, and Garden Attributes. Quarto Publishing Group USA. ISBN 978-1-61058-380-0.
  13. ^ Parer, Robin (20 April 2016). The Plant Lover's Guide to Hardy Geraniums. Timber Press. ISBN 978-1-60469-418-5.
  14. ^ "Geranium or Pelargonium? Let's Stop the Confusion". Laidback Gardener. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  15. ^ "Geranium Climate: Sun and Temperature". geraniumpage.com.
  16. ^ Chris (2015-11-28). "Pelargonium incarnatum - Is it a Geranium? No it's a Pelargonium". Phillipskop Mountain Reserve. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  17. ^ "Tom Karwin, On Gardening | Visiting the Geranium family". Santa Cruz Sentinel. 2022-11-24. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  18. ^ Phillips, Ellen; Colston Burrell, C. (1993), Rodale's illustrated encyclopedia of perennials, Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale Press, pp. 373–76, ISBN 978-0-87596-570-3
  19. ^ Jelitto, Leo; Schacht, Wilhelm; Epp, Michael E.; Baumgardt (ed. and transl.), John Philip (1990), Hardy herbaceous perennials, vol. 1, Portland, OR: Timber Press, pp. 260–64, ISBN 978-0-88192-159-5
  20. ^ "Paghat's Garden". Paghat.com. Retrieved 2013-09-17.
  21. ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 39. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  22. ^ "RHS Plant Selector Geranium 'Ann Folkard' AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  23. ^ "RHS Plant Selector Geranium × oxonianum 'A.T. Johnson' AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  24. ^ "Geranium (Cinereum Group) 'Ballerina'". RHS. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  25. ^ "RHS Plantfinder - Geranium 'Blue Cloud'". Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  26. ^ "Geranium Blue Sunrise='Blogold' (PBR)". RHS. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  27. ^ "Geranium 'Brookside'". RHS. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  28. ^ "RHS Plantfinder - Geranium 'Danny Boy'". Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  29. ^ "RHS Plant Selector Geranium 'Dilys' AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-17.
  30. ^ "RHS Plantfinder - G. × lindavicum 'Gypsy'". Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  31. ^ "Geranium 'Ivan'". RHS. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  32. ^ "RHS Plant Selector Geranium 'Mavis Simpson' AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-17.
  33. ^ "Geranium 'Nimbus'". RHS. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  34. ^ "RHS Plant Selector Geranium 'Orion' AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-17.
  35. ^ "RHS Plantfinder - Geranium Pattricia = 'Brempat'". Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  36. ^ "Geranium Rothbury Gem = 'Gerfos'". RHS. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  37. ^ "RHS Plant Selector Geranium ROZANNE= 'Gerwat' PBR AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  38. ^ "RHS Plantfinder - Geranium × riversleainum 'Russell Prichard'". Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  39. ^ "Geranium 'Sirak'". RHS. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  40. ^ "Geranium × oxonianum 'Wageningen'". RHS. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  41. ^ "RHS Plant Selector Results / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2020.

Bibliography edit

  • Aedo, Carlos; Garmendia, Felix Munoz (February 1996). "Some Notes on the Sectional Nomenclature of Geranium (Geraniaceae)". Taxon. 45 (1): 104. doi:10.2307/1222593. JSTOR 1222593.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Geranium.
  • ITIS list of Geranium species
  • Geranium Taxonomic Information System
  • Preparing Geraniums for Winter

January 01, 1970
geranium, this, article, about, botanical, genus, called, summer, bedding, geranium, pelargonium, other, uses, disambiguation, confused, with, germanium, genus, species, annual, biennial, perennial, plants, that, commonly, known, geraniums, cranesbills, they, . This article is about the botanical genus called Geranium For the summer bedding geranium see Pelargonium For other uses see Geranium disambiguation Not to be confused with germanium Geranium is a genus of 422 species of annual biennial and perennial plants that are commonly known as geraniums or cranesbills They are found throughout the temperate regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics with the greatest diversity in the eastern part of the Mediterranean region 1 Geranium Geranium dissectum Scientific classification Kingdom Plantae Clade Tracheophytes Clade Angiosperms Clade Eudicots Clade Rosids Order Geraniales Family Geraniaceae Genus GeraniumL Species See list The palmately cleft leaves are broadly circular in form The flowers have five petals and are coloured white pink purple or blue often with distinctive veining 1 Geraniums will grow in any soil as long as it is not waterlogged 2 Propagation is by semiripe cuttings in summer by seed or by division in autumn or spring 3 Geraniums are eaten by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including brown tail ghost moth and mouse moth At least several species of Geranium are gynodioecious 4 5 6 The species Geranium viscosissimum sticky geranium is considered to be protocarnivorous 7 Contents 1 Name 2 Description 3 Confusion with Pelargonium 4 Cultivation 4 1 Cultivars 5 Gallery 6 See also 7 References 8 Bibliography 9 External linksName edit nbsp Floral diagram of a Geranium garden hybrid called Ann Thomson showing 5 free sepals 5 free petals 10 free fertile stamens and a superior ovary consisting of 5 merged carpels with 5 style branches The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek geranos geranos crane The English name cranesbill derives from the resemblance of the fruit capsule of some of the species to a crane s head and bill The ovary portion forms the head and the prolonged stigma creates the appearance of a beak 8 9 Description editThe flowers are typically five petaled and white to purple The leaves are palmate divided into narrow pointed segments 8 The fruit capsule consists of five cells joined to a column produced from the centre of the flower The cells form lobes which eventually separate each containing one seed 8 When the fruit is ripe the beak like stigma springs open and casts the ovoid streamlined seeds some distance dispersing the seeds 10 Confusion with Pelargonium edit nbsp The bill and seed dispersal mechanism of G pratense Confusingly geranium is also the common name of members of the genus Pelargonium which are also in the family Geraniaceae and are widely grown as horticultural bedding plants Linnaeus originally included all the species in one genus Geranium but they were later separated into two genera by Charles L Heritier in 1789 11 Other former members of the genus are now classified in Erodium including the plants known as filarees in North America 12 The term hardy geranium is often applied to horticultural Geraniums to distinguish them from the Pelargoniums which are not winter hardy in temperate horticulture 13 14 However not all Geranium species are winter hardy see below 15 The shape of the flowers offers one way of distinguishing between the two genera Geranium and Pelargonium Geranium flowers have five very similar petals and are thus radially symmetrical actinomorphic whereas Pelargonium and also Erodium flowers have two upper petals which are different from the three lower petals so the flowers have a single plane of symmetry zygomorphic 16 17 Cultivation editA number of geranium species are cultivated for horticultural use and for pharmaceutical products Some of the more commonly grown species include Geranium albanum crested cranesbill Geranium cinereum Geranium clarkei Clarke s geranium Geranium dalmaticum Geranium endressii Endres s cranesbill Geranium erianthum wooly geranium Geranium fremontii Fremont s geranium Geranium himalayense often sold under Geranium grandiflorum Geranium ibericum Caucasus geranium Geranium macrorrhizum bigroot cranesbill or bigroot geranium Geranium maculatum wild geranium Geranium maderense giant herb robert Geranium magnificum showy geranium Geranium phaeum dusky cranesbill Geranium platypetalum broad petaled geranium Geranium pratense meadow cranesbill Geranium psilostemon Armenian cranesbill Geranium renardii Renard geranium Geranium sanguineum bloody cranesbill Geranium subcaulescens grey cranesbill Geranium sylvaticum wood cranesbill All the above species are perennials and generally winter hardy plants grown for their attractive flowers and foliage They are long lived and most have a mounding habit with palmately lobed foliage Some species have spreading rhizomes They are normally grown in part shade to full sun in well draining but moisture retentive soils rich in humus 18 Other perennial species grown for their flowers and foliage include Geranium argenteum G eriostemon G farreri G nodosum G procurrens G pylzowianum G renardii G traversii G tuberosum G versicolor G wallichianum and G wlassovianum Some of these are not winter hardy in cold areas and are grown in specialized gardens like rock gardens 19 Geranium Johnson s Blue is a hybrid between G himalayense southwestern China with G pratense European meadow cranesbill 20 Cultivars edit nbsp Close up of a geranium flower probably not Johnson s Blue The following hybrid cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society s Award of Garden Merit other cultivars are dealt with under their species name see above 21 Ann Folkard 22 A T Johnson G oxonianum 23 Ballerina 24 Blue Cloud 25 Blue Sunrise Blogold PBR 26 Brookside 27 Danny Boy 28 Dilys 29 Gypsy G lindavicum 30 Ivan 31 Mavis Simpson 32 Nimbus 33 Orion 34 Patricia Brempat 35 Rothbury Gem Gerfos 36 Rozanne Gerwat 37 Russell Prichard 38 Sirak 39 Wageningen 40 Wargrave Pink G oxonianum 41 Gallery edit nbsp nbsp Geranium maculatum nbsp Geranium phaeum from Thome Flora von Deutschland Osterreich und der Schweiz 1885 nbsp Geranium platypetalum nbsp Geranium sanguineum nbsp Geranium pratense meadow cranesbill nbsp Geranium robertianum herb robert nbsp Geranium maderense nbsp Geranium maculatum nbsp Geranium arboreum nbsp Geranium petal under the microscope nbsp Geranium probably Johnson s Blue nbsp Geranium dissectumSee also editList of Geranium speciesReferences edit a b Allaby Michael 26 August 2015 The Dictionary of Science for Gardeners 6000 Scientific Terms Explored and Explained Timber Press ISBN 978 1 60469 483 3 Retrieved 5 April 2024 Tibballs Geoff 2017 03 09 100 Plants That Won t Die in Your Garden Little Brown Book Group ISBN 978 1 4721 3800 2 Brickell Christopher 2011 08 15 American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Penguin ISBN 978 0 7566 7508 0 Hessing M B 1989 Variation in self fertility and floral characters of Geranium caespitosum Geraniaceae along an elevational gradient Plant Systematics and Evolution 166 225 241 Van Etten and Chang 2014 Frequency dependent pollinator discrimination acts against female plants in the gynodioecious Geranium maculatum Annals of Botany 114 1769 1778 Elzinga Jelmer A Varga Sandra 2017 Prolonged stigma and flower lifespan in females of the gynodioecious plant Geranium sylvaticum PDF Flora 226 72 81 doi 10 1016 j flora 2016 11 007 S2CID 85558947 Spomer George G 1999 Evidence of Protocarnivorous Capabilities in Geranium viscosissimum and Potentilla arguta and Other Sticky Plants International Journal of Plant Sciences 160 1 98 101 doi 10 1086 314109 ISSN 1058 5893 a b c Taylor Ronald J 1994 1992 Sagebrush Country A Wildflower Sanctuary rev ed Missoula MT Mountain Press Pub Co p 62 ISBN 0 87842 280 3 OCLC 25708726 Geranium homeanum Australian Plants Society 17 January 2024 Retrieved 5 April 2024 Stamp Nancy E Lucas Jeffrey R 1983 Ecological Correlates of Explosive Seed Dispersal Oecologia 59 2 3 272 278 ISSN 0029 8549 JSTOR 4217097 Lis Balchin Maria 2002 10 03 Geranium and Pelargonium History of Nomenclature Usage and Cultivation CRC Press ISBN 978 0 203 21653 8 Armitage Allan M 2008 05 01 Herbaceous Perennial Plants A Treatise on their Identification Culture and Garden Attributes Quarto Publishing Group USA ISBN 978 1 61058 380 0 Parer Robin 20 April 2016 The Plant Lover s Guide to Hardy Geraniums Timber Press ISBN 978 1 60469 418 5 Geranium or Pelargonium Let s Stop the Confusion Laidback Gardener Retrieved 2024 04 05 Geranium Climate Sun and Temperature geraniumpage com Chris 2015 11 28 Pelargonium incarnatum Is it a Geranium No it s a Pelargonium Phillipskop Mountain Reserve Retrieved 2024 04 05 Tom Karwin On Gardening Visiting the Geranium family Santa Cruz Sentinel 2022 11 24 Retrieved 2024 04 05 Phillips Ellen Colston Burrell C 1993 Rodale s illustrated encyclopedia of perennials Emmaus Pa Rodale Press pp 373 76 ISBN 978 0 87596 570 3 Jelitto Leo Schacht Wilhelm Epp Michael E Baumgardt ed and transl John Philip 1990 Hardy herbaceous perennials vol 1 Portland OR Timber Press pp 260 64 ISBN 978 0 88192 159 5 Paghat s Garden Paghat com Retrieved 2013 09 17 AGM Plants Ornamental PDF Royal Horticultural Society July 2017 p 39 Retrieved 27 February 2018 RHS Plant Selector Geranium Ann Folkard AGM RHS Gardening Apps rhs org uk Retrieved 5 April 2020 RHS Plant Selector Geranium oxonianum A T Johnson AGM RHS Gardening Apps rhs org uk Retrieved 5 April 2020 Geranium Cinereum Group Ballerina RHS Retrieved 11 July 2020 RHS Plantfinder Geranium Blue Cloud Retrieved 1 March 2018 Geranium Blue Sunrise Blogold PBR RHS Retrieved 11 July 2020 Geranium Brookside RHS Retrieved 11 July 2020 RHS Plantfinder Geranium Danny Boy Retrieved 2 March 2018 RHS Plant Selector Geranium Dilys AGM RHS Gardening Apps rhs org uk Retrieved 2013 09 17 RHS Plantfinder G lindavicum Gypsy Retrieved 1 March 2018 Geranium Ivan RHS Retrieved 11 July 2020 RHS Plant Selector Geranium Mavis Simpson AGM RHS Gardening Apps rhs org uk Retrieved 2013 09 17 Geranium Nimbus RHS Retrieved 11 July 2020 RHS Plant Selector Geranium Orion AGM RHS Gardening Apps rhs org uk Retrieved 2013 09 17 RHS Plantfinder Geranium Pattricia Brempat Retrieved 2 March 2018 Geranium Rothbury Gem Gerfos RHS Retrieved 14 July 2020 RHS Plant Selector Geranium ROZANNE Gerwat PBR AGM RHS Gardening Apps rhs org uk Retrieved 5 April 2020 RHS Plantfinder Geranium riversleainum Russell Prichard Retrieved 2 March 2018 Geranium Sirak RHS Retrieved 14 July 2020 Geranium oxonianum Wageningen RHS Retrieved 11 July 2020 RHS Plant Selector Results RHS Gardening Apps rhs org uk Retrieved 5 April 2020 Bibliography editAedo Carlos Garmendia Felix Munoz February 1996 Some Notes on the Sectional Nomenclature of Geranium Geraniaceae Taxon 45 1 104 doi 10 2307 1222593 JSTOR 1222593 Genus Geranium in North America the PerennialsExternal links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Geranium ITIS list of Geranium species Geranium Taxonomic Information System Preparing Geraniums for Winter Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Geranium amp oldid 1220908066, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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