Short Description
The Dove's-foot crane's-bill can grow up to 45 cm high.
The softly hairy leaves are hand-shaped and divided once or twice. The leaf ends are blunt. The leaves usually grow singly and alternately on the stem.
The stem grows erect or prostrate. It is very hairy.
The flowers are usually in pairs at the end of the stem. They have five round, pink petals. The petals are heart-shaped incurved.
The fruit is a beak-shaped split capsule.
Features
Dove's-foot crane's-bill
Geranium molle
very soft hairy leaves
beaky fruit
In the city
It grows in the city in sunny, sandy places such as weedy lawns, roadsides and embankments. It can also be found on nutrient-rich soils such as rubble areas or fields.
Fun Facts
When the fruit ripens, the five flaps of the split fruit suddenly detach due to drying out and curl up. This causes the seeds to be ejected.
The flowering period is from May to September.
The flower is pollinated by bees.
- Endangerment level Germany: not endangered
Sources
Habitus, AnRo0002, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20160420Geranium_molle4.jpg#mw-jump-to-license
Blüten, Aiwok, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Geranium_molle.jpg
Laubblatt, Fornax, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Geranium_molle2_W.jpg
Kammer, P. M. (2016) Pflanzen einfach bestimmen. Schritt für Schritt einheimische Arten kennenlernen, Bern: Haupt Verlag.
Spohn, M., Golte-Bechtle, M. & Spohn, R. (2015) Was blüht denn da? Stuttgart: Franckh Kosmos Verlag.
Page „Weicher Storchschnabel“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 23.11.2017, 20:55 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Weicher_Storchschnabel&oldid=171325102 (Accessed: 06.03.2018).