Three Geraniums

Herb Robert, Geranium robertianum, on my street in Hayes, 12 May 2013.

I am taking part in the London Flora Project, which aims to update our knowledge of which plants can be found in the Greater London area.  I have a square kilometer to survey that includes my house and street, and I am finding that it sharpens my perceptions and improves my knowledge of what surrounds me.

Yesterday I found three species of Geranium on my own little street, growing in the verge or in cracks in the paving and asphalt.

So here they are, starting with  a well-known woodland plant, Herb Robert (above).  The leaves are finely divided, and in dry or sunny places are often tinged with red, as here.  It has pretty pink flowers, or sometimes white ones.  (There's a white one in this post: Spring at Keston).

Shining Crane's-bill, Geranium lucidum, on my street in Hayes, 12 May 2013.

This next plant is one of several specimens growing in the cracks.  Look how shiny it is compared to the Herb Robert!  The flowers are quite similar, but the leaves are very different.

I thought of this as a tall woodland plant and I was very surprised to see it here, hugging the ground, but looking around on iSpot I can see several observations in similar places.

Flower of Shining Crane's-bill, Geranium lucidum, on my street in Hayes, 12 May 2013.

The third geranium is a tiny, humble thing that hides in the short grass in a mown verge. The flowers of this one are noticeably different, in that the petals are deeply notched so that one looks like two.  It actually has only five petals, like the others.

Dove's-foot Crane's-bill, Geranium molle, on my street in Hayes, 12 May 2013.

That's true of several Geraniums. There are two possibilities when identifying a plant that looks like this; it could either be Dove's-foot Crane's-bill or Small-flowered Crane's-bill.  You can sort them out by counting the stamens, in theory, but in practice they tend to fall off easily, and if some are missing the count will come out oddly.

Closeup of Dove's-foot Crane's-bill, Geranium molle, on my street in Hayes, 12 May 2013.

So you need to look at the hairs on the flower stem.  If they are all short, it's a Small-flowered.  Here, there are some short and some longer, so it's a Dove's-foot.

So, three wild Geraniums just outside my door!  I am pleased.