Erodium moschatum (L.) L’Her.   Geraniaceae (Geranium Family)   Medit. Region Europe White-Stem Filaree

                                     February Photo

Plant Characteristics: Somewhat fleshy annual; stems generally whitish, decumbent or erect, 1-6 dm. long, glandular pubescent; lvs. usually at first forming close rosette on ground, pinnately veined, simple to pinnate, opposite, with one interpetiolar stipule on one side and 2 on the other; leaves pinnate compound with thin membrane at base of petiole, 6-40 cm. long, petiole shorter than blade; leaflets serrate or lobed, ovate to oblong ovate, 1-3 cm. long, ultimate segments 1-4 mm. wide; flowers in a terminal umbel; peduncles 6-20 cm. long, glandular pubescent; pedicels 6-13 mm. long, glandular pubescent and with subappressed non-glandular hairs ca. 6-20 mm. long; sepals 5, 6-7 mm. long, mucronate; petals 5, somewhat longer than sepals, rose-violet, not spotted; stamens 5; dry seeds with a coil of several turns, 2-4 cm. long, immature style column very elongate.

In 1988 I found a white fld. specimen westerly of the Delhi Ditch but did not photograph it.  In 1991 I found another specimen in the same location and compared the flower parts with a rose-violet fld. specimen as follows: Dimensions of the two flowers, pedicels and mature styles are the same; on the white specimen, the pedicels and calyx lobes have glandular hairs that are less dense, both are colored the same; the white fld. specimen has red calyx tips, the rose-violet specimen less so; the white fld. specimen has white stamens, red anthers, a whitish style, and yellowish-green stigmas; on the ovary, below where the stamens attach, there is a small projection about the size of an anther that is yellow-green; on the rose-violet specimen, the stamens are rose-violet, the anthers are dark red, the style is greenish-white, the stigmas are dark red; the spot below the stamens is dark red.

Habitat:  Common at low elevations, especially in heavy soils; throughout cismontane Calif.; Channel Ids.  Feb-May.

Name:  Greek, erodios, a heron, because of the long beak on the fruit.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 490).  New Latin, moschatus, musky.  (Jaeger 159).  May refer to the odor of the freshly crushed foliage which is quite glandular (John Johnson). Filaree is a corruption of the Spanish name Alfilerilla, a needle, another interpretation of the beak.  (Dale 120).

General:  Least common of the three species within the study area and can only be considered occasional in frequency.     Photographed on both sides of the Delhi Ditch and on the North Star Flats.  (my comments).      Valued as a forage plant on the ranges of our State but in some places may assume the role of a weed.  (Robbins et al. 273).     There are five fairly common species of Erodium within our borders.  Three of these, E. botrys, E. moschatum, and E. cicutarium, are introduced from the Mediterranean region and are now widespread throughout California, whereas two species, E. texanum and E. macrophyllum are native and relatively less abundant.  (Robbins et al. 273).      Called musky filaree due to the musky fragrance.  (Parsons 200).      See E. botrys and E.cicutarium for other notes.

Text Ref:  Jepson 591; Hickman, Ed. 673; Munz, Calif. Flora 144;  Munz, Flora So. Calif. 490.

Photo Ref:  Feb 1 84 #9; Mar 2 86 #3; April 2 87 # 7A; April-May 91 # 10.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by F. Roberts.

First Found:  February 1984.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 34.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 12/26/04.  

                              April Photo                                                                              April Photo