Species: Geranium richardsonii Fisch. & Trautv.

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Geranium richardsonii Fisch. & Trautv.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Geraniaceae

Genus:

Geranium

Species Synonyms:

none

Common Names:

white wild geranium
Richardson’s geranium

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

Yukon Territory – southwestern Mackenzie District, south to eastern British Columbia – Alberta – southwestern Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan:

southwestern Saskatchewan; Cypress Hills

Ecoregion:

Cypress Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

wooded ravines, open woods, meadows and thickets

Associated species:

white spruce

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Vulnerable

Nature Conservancy Status:

G4G5 S2S3

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

White wild geranium is vulnerable because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan and is regionally restricted to the Cypress Hills area. This species is usually locally numerous over relatively large areas. No immediate threats are known for this species.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

20 – 80 cm

Stems:

caudex short; stems perennial, one or more, erect, hairless or sparsely glandular hairy

Leaves:

simple, lower leaves stalked, upper sessile, deeply 3 – 7-divided, divisions lobed, 6 – 12 cm wide, sparsely stiff hairy

Inflorescence:

commonly 2-flowered; inflorescence stalks 2 – 12 cm long, glands stalked and purple

Flowers:

sepals 6 – 12 mm long, lance-shaped to narrowly oval, awned; petals 10 – 18 mm long, white with pink or purple veins, long hairy on inner surface; stamens 10, in two rows, filaments broadened near base; style column 2 – 2.5 cm long

Fruits:

capsule splitting from below upwards into 5 segments, recoiled when dry; seeds 3 mm long, coarsely net-veined, brownish

GERANIUM KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Petals < 12 mm long; anthers < 1 mm long; terminal beak of mature fruit lacking or < 6 mm long	Halenia
1 Petals > 12 mm long; anthers 2 – 3 mm long; terminal beak of mature fruit to over 1 cm long	2

2 Mature flower stalks more than 2x longer than sepals; stylar beak of fruit 3 – 5 mm long	G. bicknellii
2 Mature flower stalks equal to or less than 2x longer than calyx; stylar beak of fruit < 2.5 mm long	G. carolinianum var. sphaerospermum

3 Petals white or pale pink with darker veins, long hairy 1/2 their length from base; inflorescence with purple glandular hairs	G. richardsonii
3 Petals pinkish, lavender to purple, long hairy 1/5 their length from base; inflorescence with yellow glandular hairs	4

4 Lower leaf stalks and stem hairless to hairy but not glandular	G. viscosissimum var. incisum
4 Lower leaf stalks and stem hairy and glandular	G. viscosissimum var. viscosissimum