Erodium cygnorum

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]

Description

It grows as an annual or perennial herb up to 60 centimetres high, with blue, purple or pink flowers.^[1]

Taxonomy

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.

Distribution and habitat

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]

References