Geranium bicknellii (Bicknell's Geranium) - photos and description
15 cm ruler
Geranium bicknellii growing among Bidens cernua.
Stem leaves
in above photo
Basal leaf
in above photo
Origin: Native.
General: Weak-stemmed plants, much-branched and a decumbent to erect growth habit. Stems pubescent sometimes with glandular hairs. Can be weedy, occasionally appears as a weed in our garden.
Flowers: Flowers pink to light violet, measured at 8 mm diameter, growing in pairs from leaf axils. Flower stalk much longer than calyx - we measured a flower stalk at 12 mm long, and the calyx on its flower at 3 mm long (differentiates this species from similar G. carolinianum).
Leaves: Leaves alternate below, opposite in the inflorescence. Cordate to orbicular, deeply dissected into narrow lobes, leaf measured to 3 cm wide and 2 cm long. Leaf tops and margins sparsely hairy, bottoms with hairs on central nerve.
Fruit: Linear, cylindrical, hairy. We measured a mature fruit at 17 mm long with a beak 4 mm long. The pedicels of the mature fruit are much longer than the calyx, we measured a pedicel at 17 mm long and its calyx was 5 mm long.
Height: Height listed in Budd's Flora to 50 cm, we measured plants to 35 cm.
Habitat: Disturbed soil, pathways, and open woods in the parklands and boreal forest.
Abundance: Fairly common.
Similar species: Very similar to native Geranium
carolinianum. To distinguish between them:
- G. bicknelii has flower stalks longer than the calyx;
- G. carolinianum has flower stalks the same length or shorter
than the calyx.
From Taxonomic Reminder to Recognizing Saskatchewan Plants.
When and where photographed: Photos taken August 1st, Meadow Lake Provincial forest, boreal forest, about 500 km north west of Regina, SK, and August 6th, Duck Mountain Provincial Park, abut 300 km northeast of our home in Regina, SK.