Species

Geranium sessiliflorum var. arenarium

Etymology

Geranium: From the Greek geranos 'crane', the fruit of the plant resembling the head and beak of this bird, hence the common name cranesbill.
sessiliflorum: with unstalked flowers

Common Name(s)

short-flowered cranesbill

Current Conservation Status

2012 - At Risk - Declining

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - At Risk - Declining
2004 - Not Threatened

Qualifiers

2012 - DP, RR
2009 - DP, RR

Authority

Geranium sessiliflorum var. arenarium G.Simpson et J.S.Thomson

Family

Geraniaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

GERSVA

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Geranium sessiliflorum subp. novae-zelandiae var. arenarium (G.Simpson et J.S.Thomson) Carolin

Distribution

Endemic. South Island, South of Otago Peninsula throughout the Foveaux Strait area and in northern Stewart Island

Habitat

Coastal. Mainly found in sand country - usually in dune swales or on shallowly sloping beaches. Sometimes on or near rock outcrops or within peaty soils near seepages or within coastal turfs.

Features

All parts softly and finely pilose. Leaves orbicular, closely lobed, divided at base, unusually appressed to the ground, petioles and peduncles tinged with purple, blade pale glaucous grey. Flowers white

Similar Taxa

Most similar to G. brevicaule Hook.f. from which it differs mainly by the softly silvery-pilose, glaucescent to silvery leaves which are slightly larger in size. The flowers appear to be smaller. A poorly known taxon whose exact status requires further clarification. It does, however, appear to be distinct from the other variants now included in G. brevicaule.

Flowering

October - March

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

December - June

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from seed. An excellent pot plant. Does well in full sun in a free draining substrate.

Threats

Not Threatened. However, may yet qualify for a listing of Naturally Uncommon as it is never that common at any particular location and yet occupies a large range. Possibly at risk in its preferred sand dune habitats from the spread of marram grass (Ammophila arenaria).

Chromosome No.

2n = 52

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Not commercially available.

Taxonomic notes

Allan (1961) treats G. brevicaule Hook.f. as a synonym of G. sessiliflorum var. arenarium, incorrectly stating that the type locality of G. brevicaule is Chalky Inlet, Fiordland, New Zealand when it is Tasmania (Aedo et al. 2005). Fiordland plants appear to match G. sessiliflorum var. arenarium, and together with plants from Stewart Island, the Foveaux Strait and coastal portion of Otago these plants do not fit closely any of the other plants within New Zealand or Australia now attributed to G. brevicaule (cf. Aedo et al. 2005). Therefore pending further study NZPCN prefer to regard this variety as distinct from G. brevicaule (see also Mitchell et al. 2009), and as it has no published rank yet within that species, we use the only published name available for it G. sessiliflorum var. arenarium.

Attribution

Fact Sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange 28 July 2007.

References and further reading

Aedo, C.; Navarroa, C.; Alarcon, M.L. 2005: Taxonomic revision of Geranium sections Andina and Chilensia (Geraniaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 149(1): 1-68

Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I. Wellington, Government Printer.

Mitchell, A. D., P. B. Heenan, and A. M. Paterson. 2009. Phylogenetic relationships of Geranium species indigenous to New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 47: 21-31.

This page last updated on 29 Oct 2014