Flora of New Zealand Series

musky storksbill

Annual, at first stemless, later usually with several stems, extremely variable in size according to habitat, from prostrate to c. 60 cm high and c. 1 m across, densely glandular and ± musk-scented. Lvs to c. 30 cm long, pinnate, with petiole sometimes = lf rachis. Leaflets sessile, pinnately lobed; lobes ± ovate, serrate. Stipules broad-ovate or suborbicular, membranous, silvery, obtuse. Umbels c. 12-flowered; bracts broad, membranous, obtuse; peduncles and pedicels densely glandular, < to slightly > calyx at anthesis. Sepals 4.5-6 mm long, lanceolate-oblong, densely glandular, mucronate. Petals 4.5-8 mm long, pink or mauve-pink; claw very short; limb ± elliptic-oblong, sometimes almost obovate. Stamens 3-4 mm long; filaments widened at base, white or pink, usually with a small membranous tooth on 1 or both sides, rarely without teeth; anthers dark purple. Staminodes lanceolate. Fr. beak 3-3.5 cm long, puberulent. Mericarps densely hirsute with hairs of differing length; apical pits prominently glandular, with 1 broad, glabrous furrow beneath.

N.; S.; Ch.: lowlands throughout, common.

Europe, N. Africa, W. Asia 1869

Roadsides, railways, waste places, building sites, quarries, riverbeds, lawns and pastures, and cultivated ground.

FL (Jan)-Sep-Nov-(Dec).

In dry, stony and similar habitats plants are often reddish and extremely depauperate and only 1-2 cm diam., whereas in fertile soils and amongst taller herbs the plants are green and the rank-growing stems can attain lengths of nearly 1 m. Plants are usually musk-scented to some extent.