Erodium stephanianum Willd.
Annual, 20-50(100) cm, possibly over wintering as a rosette; stems numerous, ascending to decumbent villose, axillary stems short, branching.
Leaves: Leaves opposite, ovate to triangular-ovate, pinnatipartite, with 2 almost free basal lobes; pinnae 5-9, lamina narrow linear along the veins, acuminate, sparsely appressed pilose but rather grey colour; leaf blade 4-7 cm long, petioles more densely covered; stipules 3-8 mm, lanceolate to triangular-lanceolate, acuminate, bipartite to base.
Inflorescence: Umbels axillary on long peduncles (-34cm), of 2-5 flowers, pilose; bracts small, narrow triangular, free; sepals 6-9 mm, elliptic with sparse hairs c2mm long; long mucronate, mucro half the length of sepal, 3-5mm long; petals 5-7mm, equal size, obovate, rounded tip; colour varies – white with pink veins (China, Nepal & Ledebour), pink with deeper veins (Mongolia & Nepal), mauve or pale violet with pink veins, or purple; stamen filaments purple; anthers purple; pollen yellow; stigma green or, in darker flowered plants, purple. Flowers June to August.
Fruit: Beak 3.5-4.5cm long; mericarp 8-11 mm, with a small bare foveole, no furrow; awn with c.3 turns. 2n=16 Guitt.
Distribution: Afghanistan, China, Kashmir, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia; meadows, steppes, flood plains, farmlands; 400-4000 m
