Species: Geranium richardsonii Fisch. & Trautv.

comments | credits | copyright

Back to: Plants at Risk in Saskatchewan

Geranium richardsonii Fisch. & Trautv.

Species Image Gallery
(opens in a new window)

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:

Picea glauca

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Vulnerable

Nature Conservancy Status:

G4G5 S2S3

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Geranium richardsonii 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, glabrous or sparsely glandular-pubescent

Leaves:

simple, lower leaves petiolate, upper sessile, deeply 3 – 7-divided, divisions lobed, 6 – 12 cm wide, sparsely strigose

Inflorescence:

cymes commonly 2-flowered; peduncles 2 – 12 cm long, glands stipitate and purple

Flowers:

calyx 6 – 12 mm long, lanceolate to narrowly oval, awned; corolla 10 – 18 mm long, white with pink or purple veins, pilose on inner surface; stamens 10, didynamous, 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 reticulate, 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 pedicels more than 2x longer than calyx; stylar beak of fruit 3 – 5 mm long	G. bicknellii
2 Mature pedicels 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, pilose 1/2 their length from base; inflorescence with purple glandular hairs	G. richardsonii
3 Petals pinkish, lavender to purple, pilose 1/5 their length from base; inflorescence with yellow glandular hairs	4

4 Lower petioles and stem glabrous to pubescent but not glandular	G. viscosissimum var. incisum
4 Lower petioles and stem hirsute and glandular	G. viscosissimum var. viscosissimum