| Erodium cygnorum | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Geraniales |
| Family: | Geraniaceae |
| Genus: | Erodium |
| Species: | E. cygnorum Nees |
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 Storksbill and Australian filaree.[3]
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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.[4] No infraspecific taxa of E. cygnorum are currently recognised.
It is native to Australia, occurring in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.[5] The National Herbarium of New South Wales lists E. cygnorum as also occurring in New South Wales,[6] but they further identify their specimens as E. cygnorum subsp. glandulosum;[7] 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]