Erodium chium (L) Willd.
Erodium chium is a caulescent annual herb, 10-50cm with fine branching roots. Stems ascending, with retrorse eglandular hairs and a few glandular hairs.
Leaves triangular-ovate, pinnatifid to pinnatipartite ± cordate; principal segments 3-5, with sinuses separating them, irregularly dentate; basal leaves with lamina 2.5-5 x 2-6 cm, petiole 4.5-7 cm; stipules 1.5-10 mm, triangular, papery, whitish.
Inflorescence: Lateral umbels of 5-9 flowers; bracts 4-9, 2-3.5mm ± joined at the base, with glandular hairs on the lower surface, papery, brown or white; sepals 3.5-6mm prominantly nerved, with abundant ± patent eglandular hairs and small glands on the lower surface and with a papery edge; mucro 0.7-2 mm; petals equal, 4.5-7.5 mm pink or purplish (or sometimes white), unmarked; nectaries green to brown; staminodes whitish-pink, with hairs on outer edge; stamens filaments pink, widened and hairy at base; anthers purple-bluish; pollen yellow; stigmas rose to purple. Flowers March to June.
Fruit: Mericarp 3-5mm’ light brown; foveole without furrows; awn bare and without turns for the half next to the seed.; beak 30-50(-70)mm, rapier like. 2n=20
Distribution: endemic to Europe: Portugal, Mediterranean Basin from Spain to Greece and Egypt, Canaries, Madeira; dry open places, fields, roadsides, sand dunes, often coastal but also inland, on mainly basic sandy soils.
