Erodium cicutarium
(L.) L'Hér.
Geraniaceae
Erodium albidum Picard
Erodium allotrichum Steud. ex A.Rich
Erodium alsiniflorum Delile
Erodium ambiguum Pomel
Erodium arenarium Jord.
Erodium atomarium Delile ex Godr.
Erodium boraeanum Jord.
Erodium carneum Jord.
Erodium chaerophyllum (Cav.) Steud. ex Coss.
Erodium chaerophyllum Steud.
Erodium commixtum Jord. ex F.W.Schultz
Erodium danicum K.Larsen
Erodium dissectum Rouy
Erodium filicinum Pomel
Erodium glutinosum Dumort.
Erodium himalayanum Royle
Erodium hirsutum Schur
Erodium immaculatum (W.D.J.Koch) P.Fourn.
Erodium maculatum Salzm. ex C.Presl
Erodium melanostigma Mart.
Erodium millefolium Willd. ex Kunth
Erodium minutiflorum Godr.
Erodium moranense Willd. ex Kunth
Erodium pallidiflorum Jord.
Erodium parviflorum Jord.
Erodium petroselinum L'Hér. ex DC.
Erodium pilosum Menyh.
Erodium pimpinellifolium (Moench) Sibth.
Erodium praetermissum Jord. ex Boreau
Erodium sabulicolum Jord. ex Nyman
Erodium subalbidum Jord.
Erodium tenuisectum Lange
Erodium triviale Jord.
Erodium verbenifolium Delile
Geranium arenicolum Steud.
Geranium chaerophyllum Cav.
Geranium cicutarium L.
Geranium pentandrum Gilib.
Geranium petroselinum (L'Hér. ex DC.) L'Hér. ex Webb & Berth.
Geranium pimpinellifolium Moench
Geranium pimpinellifolium With.
Myrrhina inodora Rupr.
Common Name: Stork's Bill
Close-up of the flowers
Photograph by: AnRo0002
Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
General Information
Erodium cicutarium is an erect to decumbent, annual plant producing numerous stems usually 10 - 15cm tall, occasionally to 40cm[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
17- Title
- Flora of the British Isles.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1962
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Range
Throughout temperate Eurasia, but absent from Mongolia; N. Africa - Morocco to Egypt
Habitat
Sandy dunes, grassland, arable land, waste areas, roadsides, railway embankments etc, usually near the sea[
9- Title
- Edible and Medicinal Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Launert. E.
- Publisher
- Hamlyn
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 0-600-37216-2
- Description
- Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
].
Properties
| Weed Potential | Yes |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Annual |
| Height | 0.60 m |
| Pollinators | Bees, Beetles, Lepidoptera, Self |
| Self-fertile | Yes |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Erodium cicutarium is native mainly to the temperate zone, ranging as far north as Norway. It can also be found in subtropical areas and has spread as a weed into the tropics, mainly at higher elevations.
Prefers a sunny well-drained position and a limy soil or at least one that is not acid[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. Plants are likely to be resistant to maritime exposure[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
The plant can invade disturbed areas and, once established, can form dense stands that eliminate native vegetation and can successfully compete with natve grasses and herbs[
1003- Title
- Invasive lant Species of the World; a reference guide to envoronmental weeds.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Weber E.
- Publisher
- Biddles Ltd., King's Lynn, UK
- Year
- 2005
- ISBN
- 0-85199-695-7
- Description
- Contains information on the habit and growth patterns of 450 recognised invasive species of plant.
].
Edible Uses
Young leaves - raw or cooked as a potherb[
2- Title
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hedrick. U. P.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-486-20459-6
- Description
- Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
62- Title
- A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Elias. T. and Dykeman. P.
- Publisher
- Van Nostrand Reinhold
- Year
- 1982
- ISBN
- 0442222009
- Description
- Very readable.
,
84- Title
- A Field Guide to the Common and Interesting Plants of Baja California.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Coyle. J. and Roberts. N. C.
- Publisher
- Natural History Publishing Co.
- Year
- 1975
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A very readable pocket flora with good illustrations, it gives quite a few plant uses.
,
85- Title
- Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Harrington. H. D.
- Publisher
- University of New Mexico Press
- Year
- 1967
- ISBN
- 0-8623-0343-9
- Description
- A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.
,
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. Harvested before the plant flowers[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
], they are tasty and nutritious[
207- Title
- The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Coffey. T.
- Publisher
- Facts on File.
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
- 0-8160-2624-6
- Description
- A nice read, lots of information on plant uses.
]. The leaves are added to salads, sandwiches, soups etc[
9- Title
- Edible and Medicinal Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Launert. E.
- Publisher
- Hamlyn
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 0-600-37216-2
- Description
- Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
], they can be used in recipes that call for leaves of beet, plantain, sow thistle or amaranth[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
].
Young stems - raw[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].
Root - chewed by children as a gum[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].
Medicinal
The whole plant is astringent and haemostatic{9,
13- Title
- Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Triska. Dr.
- Publisher
- Hamlyn
- Year
- 1975
- ISBN
- 0-600-33545-3
- Description
- Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.
,
21- Title
- The Herb Book.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Lust. J.
- Publisher
- Bantam books
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-553-23827-2
- Description
- Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
]. It has been used in the treatment of uterine and other bleeding[
9- Title
- Edible and Medicinal Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Launert. E.
- Publisher
- Hamlyn
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 0-600-37216-2
- Description
- Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
]. The root and leaves have been eaten by nursing mothers to increase the flow of milk[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].
Externally, the plant has been used as a wash on animal bites, skin infections etc[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].
A tea made from the leaves is diaphoretic and diuretic[
222- Title
- A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Foster. S. & Duke. J. A.
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Co.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0395467225
- Description
- A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
]. An infusion has been used in the treatment of typhoid fever[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
]. The leaves are soaked in water and used as a bath for the treatment of rheumatism[
222- Title
- A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Foster. S. & Duke. J. A.
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Co.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0395467225
- Description
- A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
].
A poultice of the chewed root has been applied to sores and rashes[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].
The seeds contain vitamin K, a poultice of them is applied to gouty typhus[
222- Title
- A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Foster. S. & Duke. J. A.
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Co.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0395467225
- Description
- A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
].
Other Uses
A green dye is obtained from the whole plant. It does not require a mordant[
168- Title
- Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Grae. I.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Publishing Co. New York.
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
- 0-02-544950-8
- Description
- A very good and readable book on dyeing.
].
The remnants of the styles are very hygroscopic, they can be used in hygrometers and as weather indicators[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
61- Title
- A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Usher. G.
- Publisher
- Constable
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
- 0094579202
- Description
- Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
].
The dried plant powder has been mixed with watermelon seeds during storage and planting in order to prevent watermelon diseases[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].
Propagation
Seed - sow in situ - it is best sown as soon as the seed is ripe. Germination usually takes place within 3 weeks[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
