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- Geranium sanguineum
Geranium sanguineum — bloody crane's-bill
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Facts
Bloody crane's-bill is native to Europe and parts of western Asia, and is a popular garden flower with a wide range of cultivars. It occasionally escapes cultivation in North America, mainly in portions of the Northeast and Midwest.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- Flower petal color
-
- pink to red
- white
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- Stamen number
- 10
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- Fruit length
- 35–39 mm
-
Clonal plantlets
- Bulbils
- the plant does not appear to have bulbils
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 2.4–2.6 mm
- Anther opening
- the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers
- Anther spurs
- the anthers do not have spurs on them
- Calyx growth after flowering
- the calyx does not grow to cover or partially cover the fruit
- Calyx symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is radially symmetrical)
- Carpel hairs
- the carpels have hairs, but they are not thick and woolly
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
- Cilia on petals
- the petal margins have cilia
- Cleistogamous flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan
- Corolla morphology
- NA
- Corolla palate
- no
- Corona lobe length
- 0 mm
- Epicalyx
- the flower does not have an epicalyx
- Epicalyx number of parts
- 0
- Filament length
- 6–8 mm
- Filament surface
- the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales
- Flower description
- the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium
- Flower number
- 1–2
- Flower orientation
- the flower points upwards or is angled outwards
- Flower petal color
-
- pink to red
- white
- Flower reproductive parts
- the flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Flowers sunken into stem
- no
- Form of style
- the style is knob-like at the tip, and unbranched
- Fringed petal edges
- the petals are not fringed
- Fused stamen clusters
- NA
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- Hairs on flower stalk
- the flower stalk has hairs on it
- Hairs on inflorescence
- the axis of the inflorescence has hairs entirely without glands
- Horns in hoods (Asclepias)
- NA
- Hypanthium
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
- Inflorescence one-sided
- the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks
- Inner tepals (Rumex)
- NA
- Length of flower stalk
- 15–55 mm
- Length of peduncle
- 32–110 mm
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of carpels
- 5
- Number of pistils
- 5
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Number of styles
- 1–5
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Perianth shape
- the perianth is cupuliform (cup-shaped)
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal and sepal colors
-
- pink to red
- white
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal base
- the petal narrows gradually or does not narrow at the base
- Petal folds or pleats
- the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits
- Petal glandular dots or scales
- no
- Petal hairs (Viola)
- NA
- Petal hairs on inner/upper surface
- there are hairs on the inner/upper petal surface
- Petal length
- 15–18 mm
- Petal length relative to sepals
- the petals are longer than the sepals
- Petal nectaries
- the petals do not have nectaries
- Petal number
- 5
- Petal shape
- the petal outline is obovate (roughly egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- Petal tip shape
- the petal tip is rounded
- Petal tips (Cuscuta)
- NA
- Petal width
- 10–11 mm
- Raceme attachment (Veronica)
- NA
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)
- Scales inside corolla
- no
- Sepal and petal color
- the sepals are different from the petals
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals are green or brown, and leaf-like in texture
- Sepal appendages
- the sepals do not have appendages on them
- Sepal appendages (Oenothera)
- NA
- Sepal auricles
- the sepals have no auricles
- Sepal color
- green to brown
- Sepal length
- 7–10 mm
- Sepal number
- 5
- Sepal orientation
- the sepals are slightly curved outwards from the corolla
- Sepal texture
- the sepals are either very thin but flexible, like a membrane, or they are leaf-like in texture
- Sepal tip shape
- the sepal tip is acute (is sharply pointed)
- Sepal uniformity
- all the sepals are about the same size
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Spur number
- NA
- Stamen appendages
- stamen appendages are absent
- Stamen lengths differ
- the stamens are all approximately the same length
- Stamen morphology
- the stamens within each cycle are the same
- Stamen number
- 10
- Stamen position relative to petals
-
- the stamens are lined up with the petals
- the stamens are lined up with the sepals
- Stamen relative length
- anything
- Staminodes
- there are no staminodes on the flower
- Stigma position
- the stigmas are positioned at the tip of the style
- Style petal-like
- the styles are not petal-like
- Style relative length
- the stigma protrudes beyond the mouth of the corolla
- Umbel flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Upper lip of bilabiate corolla
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene relative orientation
- NA
- Achene shape
- NA
- Achene surface (Polygonum)
- NA
- Achene type
- NA
- Berry color
- NA
- Capsule color (Viola)
- NA
- Capsule ribs
- NA
- Capsule splitting
- NA
- Carpel beak length
- 30–32 mm
- Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence
- NA
- Fruit beak length
- 4–8 mm
- Fruit features (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Fruit length
- 35–39 mm
- Fruit length relative to sepals
- the fruit is longer than its associated sepals
- Fruit locules
- five
- Fruit shape
- the fruit is another shape than those described
- Fruit stalk orientation
- the fruits point upward or spread or curve outward
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a schizocarp (when dry it splits into sections, each holding one or more seeds)
- Hair type on fruit
- the hairs on the fruits are simple (not branched), don’t have glands, and are not woolly
- Hairs on fruit
- the fruits have hairs on them
- Legumes (Fabaceae)
- NA
- Mericarp length
- 4–5.1 mm
- Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)
- NA
- Other markings on berry
- NA
- Ovary stipe
- the ovary or fruit does not have a stipe
- Placenta arrangement
- the plant has axile placentation, in which the ovules are attached where the septa of a compound ovary are united, usually on the central axis, or to the septa themselves
- Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit compression
- the fruit is not flattened
- Schizocarpic fruit segments
- 5
- Seed length
- 3.4–3.6 mm
- Seed number
- 1
- Seed relative length
- the seed is longer than it is wide
- Seed surface
-
- the seed has parallel ridges on it (ribbed)
- the seed is covered with reticulate markings (a netlike pattern due to splitting and rejoining of lines or ridges)
- Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Wings on fruit
- the fruit does not have wings on it
- prickles on fruits
- the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures
-
Glands or sap
- Glands on leaf blade
- the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
- Sap color
- the sap is clear
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Parasitism
- the plant is not parasitic
- Plant color
- the leaves or young stems of the plant are green
- Plants darken when dry
- no
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Underground organs
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
-
Leaves
- Bracteole length
- 2–3.5 mm
- Bracteole number (Apiaceae)
- 0
- Bracteole shape
- the bracteoles are lanceolate (widest below the middle, and tapering at both ends)
- Bracteoles
- the plant has bracteoles between the primary bracts and the flowers
- Bracts in plantain (Plantago)
- NA
- Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)
- 0
- Floral bract texture
- NA
- Floral bracts
- the flower does not have bracts
- Hairs on leaf stalk
- the petiole has hairs on it
- Hairs on underside of leaf
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Hairs on upper side of leaf
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Hooked hairs on underside of leaf
- no
- Leaf arrangement
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cordate (heart-shaped, has rounded lobes at the base)
- Leaf blade base symmetry
- the leaf blade base is symmetrical
- Leaf blade bloom
- the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- Leaf blade hairs
- the leaf blade has simple hairs with no glands, and not tangled or wooly
- Leaf blade length
- 22–61 mm
- Leaf blade primary vein pattern
- the major veins radiate out from one point at the base
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf blade texture
- the leaf blade is herbaceous (has a leafy texture)
- Leaf blade vein pattern
- the major veins of the leaf blade branch, but do not rejoin
- Leaf blade width
- 26–70 mm
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf form
- the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture
- Leaf hair orientation
- the hairs are flat against the leaf surface, mostly pointing towards the leaf tip
- Leaf shiny
- the upper side of the leaf is dull or slightly shiny
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Leaf stalk attachment to leaf
- the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade
- Leaf stalk base
- the petiole base is narrow where it attaches to the stem
- Leaf stalk length
- Up to 50 mm
- Leaf teeth and lobes
- the leaf has lobes that radiate from the base, somewhat like a hand
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf types
- There is a gradual change in appearance of the leaves from the base (or near the base) of the plant to those from further up on the stem, with leaves progressively changing as one moves higher on the stem (often becoming shorter, or less toothed/lobed, and/or with shorter petioles).
- Leaf variation
-
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- the lower leaves are larger, toothier, and/or on longer stalks than the upper leaves
- Leaflet petiolules
- the leaflets of the compound leaf lack petiolules
- Leaves per node
- there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Pinnately compound leaf type
- NA
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Stipels
- NA
- Stipule edges
- the stipule margins do not have teeth
- Stipule features
- NA
- Stipule length
- 4–6 mm
- Stipule shape
- the stipules are lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- Stipules
- the plant has stipules
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branched tendrils
- NA
- Direction of stem hairs
- the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular
- Flowering stem width
- 1–4 mm
- Hair between stem nodes
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- Hairs between stem nodes
- at least some of the hairs on the stem have glands
- Hooked hairs on stem between nodes
- no
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Length of hairs between stem nodes
- 0.1–3.5 mm
- Plant height
- 15–60 cm
- Stem bloom
- there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem
- Stem hair distribution
- the hairs on the stem are distributed more of less uniformly
- Stem orientation
- the stems are upright or angled outwards
- Stem roughness between nodes
- the stem does not feel rough
- Stem spacing
- the plant is solitary, or a few plants are growing together
- Stem succulence
- the stems are not succulent
- Tendril origin
- NA
- Tendrils
- the plant does not have tendrils
- Wings on stem
- the stem does not have wings on it
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
12. Geranium sanguineum L. E
bloody crane’s-bill. MA, ME, VT; also reported from NH and RI by Magee and Ahles (1999), but specimens are unknown. Fields, roadsides, railroads, waste areas.
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
- Geranium maculatum:
- each cymule of the inflorescence usually 2-flowered, stems with a single pair of leaves, the other leaves basal, and petals entire or very slightly retuse at the apex (vs. G. sanguineum, with each cymule of the inflorescence usually 1-flowered, stems with several leaves, and petals retuse at the apex).