Geranium bicknellii

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Geranium bicknellii
Geranium bicknellii.jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Geraniales
Family: Geraniaceae
Genus: Geranium
Species:
G. bicknellii
Binomial name
Geranium bicknellii
Synonyms [2]
List
    • Geranium bicknellii var. longipes (S.Watson) Fernald (1935)
    • Geranium carolinianum var. longipes S.Watson (1871)
    • Geranium longipes (S.Watson) Goodd. (1904)
    • Geranium nemorale Suksd. (1898)
    • Geranium nemorale var. bicknellii (Britton) Fernald (1941)
    • Geranium venezuelae R.Knuth (1912)

Geranium bicknellii is a species of geranium known by the common names Bicknell's cranesbill and northern cranesbill. It is native to much of the northern half of North America, where it can be found in a number of forest and woodland habitats. This is an annual or biennial herb which grows hairy stems up to about half a meter long. It may be erect or lie near the ground. Each leaf is several centimeters long and wide and is divided into several lobes, each of which may have smaller lobes or teeth. Flowers grow singly or in pairs and have pointed sepals and small lavender petals, each with a notch in the tip. The fruit has a rounded body with a long, straight style about 2 centimeters in length and tipped with a small beak.

Geranium bicknellii is a fire-adapted species, occurring most abundantly in recently burned forests. The seeds remain dormant while buried in the forest floor, sometimes for centuries, until a fire removes the organic litter and exposes the seeds to sunlight. The geraniums will germinate, bloom, and set seed profusely for several years after the fire, until other plants grow large enough to shade them out. The new seeds will then lie dormant in the soil, waiting for the next fire. [3]

The leaves of this species and some related species are somewhat difficult to distinguish from those of some plants in the family Ranunculaceae , particularly members of the genera Aconitum and Delphinium . They have also been confused with members of the genus Ranunculus , which is also part of that family, such as the meadow buttercup, Ranunculus acris . As the species from this family with a similar leaf shape are toxic to ingest or sometimes even touch, especially in the case of Aconitum species, it is possible that this is an example of mimicry designed to reduce herbivory. However, it may simply be accidental, due to adaption to conditions. As the family Ranunculaceae is especially ancient, other families have had quite a lot of time to mimic their characteristics via selection by herbivory. [4] [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Aconitum</i> Genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

Aconitum, also known as aconite, monkshood, wolfsbane, leopard's bane, devil's helmet, or blue rocket, is a genus of over 250 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Ranunculaceae. These herbaceous perennial plants are chiefly native to the mountainous parts of the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia, growing in the moisture-retentive but well-draining soils of mountain meadows.

<i>Ficaria verna</i> Species of flowering plant in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae)

Ficaria verna, commonly known as lesser celandine or pilewort, is a low-growing, hairless perennial flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It has fleshy dark green, heart-shaped leaves and distinctive flowers with bright yellow, glossy petals. Native to Europe and Western Asia, it is now introduced in North America, where it is known by the common name fig buttercup and considered an invasive species. The plant is poisonous if ingested raw and potentially fatal to grazing animals and livestock such as horses, cattle, and sheep. For these reasons, several US states have banned the plant or listed it as a noxious weed. It prefers bare, damp ground and is considered by horticulturalists in the United Kingdom as a persistent garden weed; nevertheless, many specialist plantsmen, nursery owners and discerning gardeners in the UK and Europe collect selected cultivars of the plant, including bronze-leaved and double-flowered ones. Emerging in late winter with flowers appearing late February through May in the UK, its appearance across the landscape is regarded by many as a harbinger of spring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranunculaceae</span> Family of eudicot flowering plants

Ranunculaceae is a family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide.

<i>Ranunculus</i> Genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

Ranunculus is a large genus of about 1750 species of flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae. Members of the genus are known as buttercups, spearworts and water crowfoots.

<i>Caltha</i> Genus of flowering plants

Caltha is a genus of rhizomatous perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae, to which ten species have been assigned. They occur in moist environments in temperate and cold regions of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Their leaves are generally heart-shaped or kidney-shaped, or are characteristically diplophyllous. Flowers are star shaped and mostly yellow to white. True petals and nectaries are missing but the five or more sepals are distinctly colored. As usual in the buttercup family there is a circle of stamens around free carpels.

<i>Ranunculus sceleratus</i> Species of buttercup

Ranunculus sceleratus known by the common names celery-leaved buttercup, celery-leaf buttercup, and cursed buttercup is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It has a circumpolar distribution in the northern hemisphere, native to temperate and boreal North America and Eurasia, where it grows in wet and moist habitats, including ponds and streambanks.

<i>Aconitum columbianum</i> Species of plant

Aconitum columbianum is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common names Columbian monkshood or western monkshood.

<i>Geranium carolinianum</i> Species of flowering plant

Geranium carolinianum is a species of geranium known by the common name Carolina crane's-bill, or Carolina geranium. This species is native to North America, where it is widespread and grows in many types of habitat. There are two varieties; Geranium carolinianum var. carolinianum and the Geranium carolinianum var. sphaerospermum. This is a summer or winter annual herb. It can be considered invasive depending on the region, when it is found in the United States it is considered to be native.

<i>Kumlienia hystricula</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae

Kumlienia hystricula is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common name waterfall false buttercup.

<i>Geranium potentilloides</i> Species of flowering plant

Geranium potentilloides, belongs to the family Geraniaceae, and is a small prostrate perennial herb that can grow up to 60cm high. The species is commonly referred to as Soft Cranesbill or Cinquefoil geranium.

<i>Ranunculus aconitifolius</i> Species of flowering plant

Ranunculus aconitifolius, the aconite-leaf buttercup or bachelor's buttons, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to central Europe. Growing to 60 cm (24 in) high by 40 cm (16 in) broad, this herbaceous perennial has slightly hairy palmate leaves up to 20 cm (8 in) long, and loose panicles of white, saucer-shaped flowers in spring.

<i>Ranunculus flabellaris</i> Species of flowering plant

Ranunculus flabellaris is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup genus, Ranunculus, known by the common name yellow water buttercup. It is native to much of North America, including the southern half of Canada and most of the United States.

<i>Ranunculus uncinatus</i> Species of buttercup

Ranunculus uncinatus is a species of buttercup known by the common names woodland buttercup and little buttercup. It is native to western North America from Alaska to California to New Mexico, where it grows in wet, wooded habitat such as forest streambanks.

<i>Ranunculus recurvatus</i> Species of flowering plant

Ranunculus recurvatus, the blisterwort or hooked crowfoot, is a plant species of the genus Ranunculus in the family Ranunculaceae native to eastern North America. It is an early-flowering plant of moist deciduous woods from central Quebec south to Florida.

<i>Ranunculus pedatifidus</i> Species of buttercup

Ranunculus pedatifidus is a species of buttercup known by the common names surefoot buttercup, northern buttercup, and birdfoot buttercup. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring throughout the northern latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. There are two varieties, var. pedatifidus occurring mostly in Asia and var. affinis mostly native to North America.

Ranunculus allenii, commonly known as Allen's buttercup, is a flowering plant in the crowfoot or buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. Generally found in wetlands in northern latitudes, it bears yellow flowers in summer, which are pollinated by insects.

<i>Ranunculus abortivus</i> Species of flowering plant

Ranunculus abortivus is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. Its common names include littleleaf buttercup, small-flower crowfoot, small-flowered buttercup, and kidneyleaf buttercup. It is widespread across much of North America, found in all ten Canadian provinces as well as Yukon and the Northwest Territories, and most of the United States, except Hawaii, Oregon, California, and parts of the Southwest.

Delphinium viridescens is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common name Wenatchee larkspur. It is endemic to central Washington state in the United States, where it occurs in the Wenatchee Mountains in Chelan and Kittitas Counties.

<i>Ranunculus arcticus</i> Species of flowering plant

Ranunculus arcticus, the birdfoot buttercup, is a species of buttercup in the family Ranunculaceae. It has a circumpolar distribution in Northern Europe, Northern Asia and North America.

<i>Ranunculus adoneus</i> Species of flowering plant

Ranunculus adoneus, the alpine buttercup or snow buttercup, is a species of flowering plant. It is an alpine buttercup from the family Ranunculaceae. This species is mainly found in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Wyoming but can also be found in Idaho, northern Utah and eastern Nevada. Its typical habitat is short grass meadows near the edge of melting snow.

References

  1. NatureServe (2024). "Geranium bicknellii". Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  2. "Geranium bicknellii Britton". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  3. Reeves, Sonja L. (2007). "Geranium bicknellii". Fire Effects Information System. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Retrieved September 23, 2011.
  4. Ge, Sun (2011). "Fossil is best look yet at an ancestor of buttercups". A eudicot from the Early Cretaceous of China. Indiana University. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  5. Udurawane, Vasika (2011). "A Tale of Flowers and Seeds". The Evolution of Plants. Earth Archives. Retrieved September 5, 2015.