Geraniaceae: Geranium Family. Identify plants and flowers.

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Geraniaceae: Geranium Family Plant Identification Characteristics.

Geraniaceae
Plants of the Geranium Family

      If you have a geranium at home, stop and look at it. The regular, bisexual flowers have 5 separate sepals and 5 separate petals with 5, 10 or 15 stamens. Note however, that some varieties have been bred to have multiple layers of petals. The ovary is positioned superior. It consists of 5 united carpels with the partition walls present, forming an equal number of chambers, with 1 or 2 ovules per chamber. The styles of the pistil are fused together, making a distinctive 5-parted, star-like stigma at the end. After pollination, the pistil continues to grow, looking like a needle emerging from the center of the blossom. It matures as a schizocarp, a dry fruit that splits apart into individual carpels (mericarps) when dry. The styles of the pistil remain attached to the individual carpels and they peel away together.

      In a geranium the schizocarp starts at the bottom and "peels" open to release its seeds. Indoor geraniums are seldom pollinated, so they do not produce seeds. It would be worth setting one outside so the bees can pollinate it, just so you can see the schizocarps form and curl.

      Worldwide, there are 11 genera and 780 species. Only Erodium and Geranium are native to North America. Domestic geraniums are from the genera Monsonia and Pelargonium. Members of this family contain significant quantities of tannic, ellagic, and gallic acids, making them quite astringent. The roots are especially acidic.

Key Words: Flower parts in fives with a needle-like pistil and a five-parted stigma.

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Erodium cicutarium. Stork's Bill.	Erodium cicutarium. Stork's Bill. An introduced weed common in deserts and gardens.
Foraging the Mountain West	Pelargonium. This hybrid geranium has a slightly irregular, star-like flower.
Geranium viscosissimum. Sticky Geranium.	Geranium viscosissimum. Sticky Geranium.
Geranium richardsonii. White Geranium.	Foraging the Mountain West
Dovesfoot Geranium: Geranium molle.	Dovesfoot Geranium: Geranium molle. Photographed in Sweden.
Herb Robert: Geranium robertianum.	Herb Robert: Geranium robertianum. Photographed in Sweden.