Erodium aureum Carolin
Erodium aureum is an annual or short-lived herb. Stems short to 200mm, soft non-glandular and glandular hairs.
Leaves: Basal leaves ± pinnatifid or ternately dissected; lamina oblong to ovate in outline, 1.8–3.5 cm long, 0.7–1.5 cm wide, 3–5 primary lobes with lobes toothed, covered with mostly glandular hairs; petiole to 2 cm long, hairy; stipules acute.
Inflorescence: Flowers in umbels of (1-)2–5; peduncle 30-50mm long; pedicels 10-15mm long; bracts acute; flower size, colour, symetry; sepals 5–8 mm long, hairy with glandular and non-glandular hairs, shortly mucronate, with papery edges; petal 8 mm long, pink to mauve with darker reddish veins merging to a red base; anthers red; filaments pale purple; stigma yellow
Fruit: Mericarp hirsute with short golden brown simple hairs, both the foveole and 1-2 furrows well-defined and with short stalked glandular hairs; beak 30-40mm. 2n=20
Distribution: endemic to Australia: widespread in open ground; central Australia, including most states, in dry open habitats.
