Flora of New Zealand Series

storksbill

Annual, at first stemless, later usually with 1 or more hairy stems; plant extremely variable in size, from prostrate to c. 50 cm high and c. 75 cm wide, not musk-scented. Lvs to c. 15 cm long, pinnate, hairy, sometimes densely so, sometimes glandular; petiole longer in rosette and lower cauline lvs. Leaflets sessile, ovate, deeply and finely pinnately dissected with linear to lanceolate lobes, often densely covered in white hairs. Stipules triangular, often broad, membranous, ciliate, silvery; midrib green, forming an acute or mucronate apex. Umbels (2)-5-12-flowered; bracts broad-ovate, membranous, with green keeled midrib forming an acute to short-acuminate apex. Peduncles densely covered in glandular hairs, often > upper cauline lvs; pedicels ± = calyx at anthesis. Sepals (2.5)-3-5 mm long at anthesis, lanceolate, hirsute or glandular, mucronate. Petals 4-6 mm long, elliptic or oblong-elliptic, usually pink or mauve-pink, rarely white; claw short, hairy. Stamens c. 3 mm long; filaments widened at base, without lateral teeth, usually pinkish; anthers dark purple. Staminodes narrow-lanceolate. Fr. beak 3-3.5 cm long, with appressed hairs. Mericarps densely hirsute with hairs of differing lengths; apical pits eglandular, with a prominent shallow glabrous furrow beneath.

N.; S.; Ch.: coastal and lowland, very common throughout.

Europe, N. Africa, temperate Asia 1855

Roadsides, waste places, building sites, railways, riverbeds, cultivated ground, lawns, poor and dry pastures to over 1000 m.

FL Sep-May.

Storksbill, in contrast to E. moschatum, does not have a musky aroma when bruised, is usually much less clammy to the touch, has finely divided fern-like foliage, acute to acuminate stipule apices, and generally extends to higher altitudes. In open, exposed habitats, especially on poor or stony soils, the plants are usually ± red, as well as being very small and depauperate. N.Z. plants correspond to subsp. cicutarium.