Erodium

Erodium
Erodium malacoides
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Geraniales
Family:	Geraniaceae
Genus:	Erodium Aiton
Species
See text.

Erodium is a genus of the botanical family Geraniaceae. The genus includes about 60 species, for the most part originating in the Mediterranean or Western Asian regions. American species are known as filarees or heron's bill, Eurasian ones are usually called storksbills.

Carl Linnaeus grouped in the same genus (Geranium) the three similar genera Erodium, Geranium, and Pelargonium. The distinction between them was made by Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle based on the number of stamens or anthers: five for Erodium, seven for Pelargonium, and ten for Geranium. However, the three genera have the same characteristics in regard to their fruit, which resemble long bird beaks. That characteristic is the basis for the names: Geranium evokes the crane (Greek geranos), Pelargonium the stork (pelargos) and Erodium the heron (erodios).

Erodium species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Pasture Day Moth.

Species

• Erodium acaule (L.) Bech. & Thell.
• Erodium aethiopicum (Lam.) Brumh. & Thell.
• Erodium botrys (Cav.) Bertol.
• Erodium brachycarpum (Godr.) Thell.
• Erodium chium (L.) Willd.
• Erodium ciconium (L.) L’Hér.
• Erodium cicutarium (L.) L’Hér.
• Erodium corsicum Léman
• Erodium chrysantum L'Hér. ex DC.
• Erodium crispum Lapeyr.
• Erodium cygnorum Nees
• Erodium foetidum (L.) L'Hér.
• Erodium glandulosum (Cav.) Willd.
• Erodium gruinum (L.) L'Hér.
• Erodium hoefftianum C. A. Meyer
• Erodium laciniatum (Cav.) Willd.
• Erodium lebelii Jord.
• Erodium macrophyllum Hook. & Arn.
• Erodium malacoides (L.) L’Hér.
• Erodium manescavii Coss.
• Erodium maritimum (L.) L’Hér.
• Erodium moschatum (L.) L’Hér.
• Erodium mouretii Pitard.
• Erodium reichardii
• Erodium rodiei (Braun-Blanq.) Poirion
• Erodium salzmannii Delile
• Erodium texanum A. Gray

References

• Pink, A. (2004). Gardening for the Million. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.