Erodium cygnorum
Species of plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Erodium cygnorum is a species of herb native to Australia.
| Erodium cygnorum | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Geraniales |
| Family: | Geraniaceae |
| Genus: | Erodium |
| Species: | E. cygnorum |
| Binomial name | |
| Erodium cygnorum | |
It is commonly known as blue heronsbill in Western Australia,[1] and blue storksbill in South Australia.[2] In the United States, where the species is cultivated as a garden plant, it is commonly known as Australian stork's bill[3] and Australian filaree.[4] In the British Isles, it is commonly known as western stork's-bill.[5]
Description
It grows as an annual or perennial herb up to 60 centimetres high, with blue, purple or pink flowers.[1]
Taxonomy
This species was published in 1845, based on a specimen collected from the vicinity of Perth, Western Australia by Ludwig Preiss in 1839. In 1958, Roger Charles Carolin published a subspecies, Erodium cygnorum subsp. glandulosum, but this has since been promoted to species rank as E. carolinianum.[6] No infraspecific taxa of E. cygnorum are currently recognised.
Distribution and habitat
It is native to Australia, occurring in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.[7] The National Herbarium of New South Wales lists E. cygnorum as also occurring in New South Wales,[8] but they further identify their specimens as E. cygnorum subsp. glandulosum;[9] that is, E. carolinianum.
It favours red sand or clay loam, occurring in low-lying flats, along creeklines and on the margins of salt lakes.[1]
