Classification - Erodium

Classification of Erodium

Erodium, has had various arrangements of species into subgenera and sections.

The latest system based on morphological features, by Professor Guittonneau, has two sub genera with five sections. Recently a study based on trnL-trnF sequences (Fiz et al, 2006) has placed species into clades.

Here we first look at Guittonneau’s classification, and then how this fits into the clades.

Guittonneau’s Classification

Genus Erodium – divided into two subgenera

Subgenus Erodium – two sections

Section Erodium – with Erodium type pollen

Section Oxyrhynchia – with Geranium type pollen

Subgenus Barbata – with carpels more or less barbed at the tip, three sections

Section Malacoidea – leaves simple undivided, to pinnatisect, but without naked rhachis between segments

Subsection Malacoidea

Series Malacoides

Series Botrys

Series Asplenioides

Series Trifolium

Subsection Reichardia

Section Cicutaria – leaves pinnate without intercalary leaflets, with naked rhachis between segments

Subsection Cicutaria – annuals

Subsection Acaulia – perennials

Section Absinthoidea – leaves pinnate with intercalary leaflets, smaller than primary leaflets

Subsection Absinthoidea – mostly dioecious, eastern Mediterranean, Caucasus

Subsection Feotida – monecious, western Mediterranean

Revised Classification based on clades

Clade I

Subclade 1 –Subgenus Erodium – two sections

Section Erodium – with Erodium type pollen

Section Oxyrhynchia – with Geranium type pollen

Stephanianum group: Erodium stephanianum and Erodium tataricum

Subclade 2 – Subsection Absinthoidea (here raised to Section Absinthoidea)

including: E. gaillardottii, E. ruthenicum, E. gruinum, E. telavivense, E. iranicum, E. pelargoniiflorum, E. hoefftianum, E. adenophorum

Clade II

Subclade 3:

Cygnorum Group: four of the five species endemic to Australia: E. crinitum E. cygnorum E. carolinianum E. janszii

Subclade 4: all of Subgenus Barbata not already included above