Geranium rubescens Yeo
greater herb Robert
Hairy, taprooted, herb, usually biennial, with characteristic scent. Stems branched, sprawling to ascending, to c. 70 cm long, dark red to reddish green, becoming glabrous. Rosette lvs with petioles to c. 20 cm long, hairy or glabrous. Lamina of rosette and lower cauline lvs very deeply palmately divided, 5-12-(18) × 6-12-(18) cm, broad- to triangular-ovate, clothed in ± appressed hairs, becoming red with age; lobes 5, irregularly 2-pinnatisect, the lower secondary lobes extending to midrib; ultimate segments mucronate; middle lobe petiolulate; petiolule and veins ± red. Infl. diffuse; peduncles and pedicels variable, often red, glabrous or with patent white hairs, slightly viscid with some glandular hairs. Sepals (at anthesis) 7-8 mm long excluding apical awn, with long white glandular and eglandular hairs; awn 2-4 mm long. Petals 17-25 × 8-12 mm, obovate or triangular-obovate, deep pink with paler bands near lower margin; claw slightly > limb; apex ± rounded. Filaments pink or whitish; anthers pinkish. Stigmas pink. Mericarps 3.5-4 mm long, glabrous, with raised reticulations. Seed smooth.
N.: Wellington, Upper Hutt, uncommon; S.: Christchurch, including the Port Hills, Dunedin and Invercargill; St.: Halfmoon Bay.
Madeira 1983
Moist shady situations amongst grass and near trees and shrubs, usually in the vicinity of gardens, also a weed in gardens.
FL Dec-Jun.
This sp. is closely related to G. robertianum and G. purpureum, and they have the same characteristic smell. Plants of G. rubescens have sometimes been mistakenly identified as in N.Z. as G. robertianum but can be distinguished by the larger fls, pink instead of orange anthers and larger mericarps.
