Erodium cygnorum | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Geraniales |
Family: | Geraniaceae |
Genus: | Erodium |
Species: | E. cygnorum
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Binomial name | |
Erodium cygnorum |
Erodium cygnorum is a species of herb native to Australia.
It is commonly known as blue heronsbill in Western Australia,[1] and blue storksbill in South Australia.[2] In the United States, where the species is cultivated as a garden plant, it is commonly known as Australian stork's bill[3] and Australian filaree.[4] In the British Isles, it is commonly known as western stork's-bill.[5]
It grows as an annual or perennial herb up to 60 centimetres high, with blue, purple or pink flowers.[1]
This species was published in 1845, based on a specimen collected from the vicinity of Perth, Western Australia by Ludwig Preiss in 1839. In 1958, Roger Charles Carolin published a subspecies, Erodium cygnorum subsp. glandulosum, but this has since been promoted to species rank as E. carolinianum.[6] No infraspecific taxa of E. cygnorum are currently recognised.
It is native to Australia, occurring in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.[7] The National Herbarium of New South Wales lists E. cygnorum as also occurring in New South Wales,[8] but they further identify their specimens as E. cygnorum subsp. glandulosum;[9] that is, E. carolinianum.
It favours red sand or clay loam, occurring in low-lying flats, along creeklines and on the margins of salt lakes.[1]