Geranium carolinianum

Sheded, Mohamed G., Ayed, Fatma A. A., Radwan, Tarek A. A. & Ahmed, Dalia A., 2024, Contribution to Egypt’s Flora: new records from Nile Islands, South Valley, Egypt, Phytotaxa 660 (1), pp. 22-34 : 25-27

Geranium carolinianum L. in Sp. Pl.: 682 (1753)

Synonyms: — Geranium atrum Moench in Methodus: 285 (1794), nom. superfl.

Geranium dissectum var. carolinianum (L.) Hook.f. in Handb. N. Zeal. Fl. 1: 36 (1864)

Geranium carolinianum f. albiflorum B.Boivin in Naturaliste Canad. 93: 1060 (1967)

Geranium carolinianum var. confertiflorum Fernald in Rhodora 37: 300 (1935)

Geranium carolinianum var. sphaerospermum (Fernald) Breitung in Amer. Midl. Naturalist 58: 43 (1957) Geranium carolinum Crantz in Inst. Rei Herb. 2: 156 (1766)

Geranium langloisii Greene in Pittonia 3: 171 (1897)

Geranium lanuginosum Jacq. in Pl. Hort. Schoenbr. 2: 8 (1797), nom. illeg.

Geranium lenticulum Raf. in New Fl. 2: 34 (1837)

Geranium sphaerospermum Fernald in Rhodora 37: 298 (1935)

Geranium thermale Rydb. in Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 1: 478 (1900)

Voucher specimen: —Deposited in Aswan with Acc. No.11820 and TANE with Acc. No. 14268.

Description: —Annual herb; up to 70 cm tall, freely branching; with fibrous root system and shallow taproot. Stem erect, rounded, green, with dense hairs (villose) turned in maturation to reddish brown. Leaves palmately 5- parted, divisions cleft or lobed again with maturation; up to 7.62 cm wide and long, alternate or opposite, nearly round to kidney-shaped, can turn reddish with age, especially at margins, covered in fine hairs; margin lobed, petiole long with hairs; venation palmate ( Fig. 4 ). Flowers 5-petaled, pale pink or white, occurs singly or in tight terminal clusters with very short petioles, about 0.85 cm across, present March–July; petals notched, with darker venation, 5 sepals can be as long as petals. Fruit upright schizocarp, with hairs, with persistent sepals at base, slender beak in center; splits to throw seeds away from plant. Seed 5 at bottom of fruit, each attached to one of 5 styles; with long narrow beak, 2.5 cm long.

Habitat and human impacts on the recorded plant island: — Geranium carolinianum was recorded in El Fuze islands, on the southern half of the island. In the south, the east bank is about 250 m from the mainland and the water is shallow. In summer with increasing water levels, the island is completely submerged; water did not exceed 1 m depth so this site is covered with emergent and free floating macrophytes and a small percentage of submerged macrophytes. However, in winter this side of the island is dry, and becomes covered with emergent macrophytes only. On the northern half of the island, the east bank is about 100 m from the mainland, and water is also shallow, but this part remains submerged throughout the year. This site is characterized by a large number of macrophytes. The west bank of the island is a wall of stones about 400 m from the mainland. Ships pass on this side of the island ( Raslan & Salama 2015). Cultivated fields, orchards, summer resorts, and uninhabited stone regions are the habitats identified on the island. Recorded associated species are Bidens pilosa L., Dichanthium annulatum (Forssk.) Stapf , Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop., Euphorbia hirta L., Euphorbia heterophylla L., Laphangium luteoalbum (L.) Tzvelev, Oxalis corniculata L., Physalis angulata L., Plantago major L., and Sonchus oleraceus L.

Human impact on the island were represented by agricultural activities and tourism construction. Geranium carolinianum was recorded in only one habitat (Orchard).

World native and introduced range: —The native range of this species is Canada to N. & W. Mexico ( POWO 2023)and it can be found in almost all of the states of the United States of America ( Aedo 2000). It was introduced to Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Bahamas, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Chile Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Dominican Republic, India, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Paraguay, Peru, Réunion, Taiwan, and Uruguay ( POWO 2023). In China it is widely distributed as an introduced species in North East China, East China, Central China, and Sichuan Province ( Li et al. 2016, Wu & Jin 2008) ( Fig. 3 ).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Distribution pattern (world native and introduced range) of the three newly recorded taxa in the world (designed by the Author).

FIGURE 4. Geranium carolinianum floral and vegetative parts. A. Life form (vegetative plant). B and C. Flowers. D. Herbarium specimen [Fatma A.A. Ayed 11820 (ASW, TANE, CAI)]. Leaves in maturation, primary and secondary lobes split and divided into a new one.