Erodium
(from erodios, a heron; the carpels resembling the head and beak of that bird). Heron's Bill. ORD. Geraniaceae. A genus of about fifty species of pretty hardy or half-hardly herbs or sub-shrubs, natives of Europe (Britain), North Africa, and temperate Asia (rare in South Africa and Australia). Peduncles generally many-flowered. Leaves various in form. Every part of the plant, when bruised, emits a strong peculiar odour. Erodiums form admirable subjects for rockwork, in dry, sunny situations, and in a sandy soil. Increased by divisions, or by seeds.
E. alpinum (alpine). fl. purple, about 1in. across, six to ten in an umbel; petals obtuse, larger than the long-pointed sepals. May. l. smoothish, bipinnatifid. Stem branched. h. 1ft. Mountains of Southern Italy, 1814. Hardy. E. caruifolium (Carum-leaved). fl. red, about 1/2in. across, eight to ten in an umbel. Spring. l. alternately pinnate; leaflets deeply bipinnate; midrib of under surface with soft white hairs. h. 6in. to 10in. Mountains of Central Spain. Hardy.
E. glandulosum (glandular). A synonym of E. macradenum. E. hymenodes (membranous). fl. pink; upper petals with a reddish-brown spot at the base; peduncles many-flowered. Spring and summer. l. somewhat three-lobed, or three-parted, very blunt, deeply toothed. Branches clothed with long, soft hairs. Stem erect, branched, shrubby at the base. h. 1ft. Mount Atlas, 1789. Half-hardy. SYN. E. trilobatum. (B. M. 1174.) E. macradenum (large-glanded).* fl. pale violet; petals acute, the two broadest ones dark purple at the base; peduncles many-flowered. June and July. l. clothed with glandular pubescence, pinnate, with bipinnatifid segments and lanceolate-linear lobes. Plant stemless. h. 6in. Pyrenees, 1798. Hardy. SYN. E. glandulosum. (B. M. 5665; Gn., Aug. 30, 1884.) E. Manescavi (Manescaut's).* fl. purplish-red, disposed in umbels. Summer. l. pinnate; leaflets oblong, deeply cut, lower ones the largest. h. 1ft. to 2ft. Pyrenees. Hardy.
E. pelargoniiflorum (Pelargonium-flowered).* fl. white, spotted with purple; peduncles umbellate, eight to ten-flowered. Summer. l. radical, petiolate, ovate-cordate. Stem elongated, branched, ascending. Anatolia. Hardy. (B. M. 5206.) E. petraeum (rock). fl. purple; petals retuse; peduncles many-flowered. June. l. smoothish, pinnate, with pinnatifid segments and lanceolate-linear lobes. Plant stemless. h. 3in. to 6in. South France and Spain, 1640. Hardy. E. Reichardi (Reichard's).* fl. white, faintly veined with pink; peduncles one-flowered. April to September. l. small, cordate, crenated, obtuse, smoothish. h. 2in. to 3in., forming a dense tuft. Majorca, 1783. Half-hardy. E. romanum (Roman). fl. purplish; petals equal, longer than the sepals; peduncles many-flowered. Spring. l. pinnate; leaf-lets ovate, deeply cut. h. 6in. to 9in. South Europe, 1724. Hardy biennial. (B. M. 377.) E. trichomanefolium (Trichomanes-leaved). fl. flesh-coloured, with darker lines; petals blunt, a little longer than the sepals; peduncles four-flowered. Summer. l. hairy, rather glandular, bipinnate, with oblong-linear lobules. Plant stemless. h. 4in. to 6in. Mount Lebanon. Hardy. E. trilobatum (three-lobed). A synonym of E. hymenodes.