Erodium petraeum, (Gouan) Willd.

23. E. petraeum (Gouan) Willd. View in CoL , Sp. Pl. 3: 626 (1800).

Acaulescent perennial. Leaves 1-7 cm, ovate-oblong, subglabrous to densely hairy, sometimes canescent or somewhat silvery, without a conspicuous difference in indumentum between the surfaces, pinnate, with intercalary leaflets; leaflets pinnatisect, with oblongto linear-lanceolate, usually pinnatifid segments. Umbels with 1-5 flowers; bracts triangular-ovate to linear-lanceolate, appressed-hairy. Sepals 6-10 mm; petals 8-13 mm, equal or unequal, violet, pink or white, the 2 upper sometimes with a black basal patch. Mericarps 5-6 mm, with ascending, white hairs; apical pits without a furrow at the base. Beak 18-33 mm. 2/i=20. Rocky places, mainly in the mountains. Spain and S.W. France. G a Hs. Very variable, especially in stature, size of leaves, nature and density o f indumentum, width o f bracts, size and colour of petals an d length of beak o f fruit. There is, however, much reticulation o f these characters; on the information at present available it seems best to recognize 5 subspecies in Europe, with probably a sixth in Morocco. 1 Apical pits of mericarp eglandular, or with very few, usually minute and sessile glands 2 Leaves subglabrous and odourless; petals white with red veins

(b) subsp. lucidum 2 Leaves ± hairy, fetid; petals bright pink (a) subsp. petraeum 1 Apical pits of mericarp with conspicuous stalked glands 3 Petals equal, without a dark patch at the base

(e) subsp. valentinum 3 Upper 2 petals larger than lower 3, and with a dark patch at the base 4 Petals violet to purple; hairs on leaves often glandular

(c) subsp. glandulosum 4 Petals white to pale pink or lilac, with red or purple veins;

hairs on leaves usually eglandular (d) subsp. crispum