Geranium robertianum L.

Herb-Robert occurs as either an annual or biennial herb. The flowers, which are present from June to October are pollinated by a range of insects (6)(2). The flowers are able to self-fertilise if they are not pollinated (2). This familiar plant has been put to various uses through the centuries. The leaves have been rubbed onto the skin in order to repel biting insects (although the strong scent is highly disagreeable and likely to repel more than insects!). The plant has been used to obtain a brown dye, and in folk medicine it has been used as an anti-rheumatic, a diuretic and and to treat jaundice and stop bleeding. Recent research has shown that the plant may lower blood sugar levels, and so it has potential as a treatment for diabetes (6).

Conservation action is not required for this species at present.

Herb-Robert is a ubiquitous sprawling plant well-known for its strong disagreeable mousy smell and its cheerful bright pink flowers (4).This odour is referred to by the local names stinking Robert and stinky Bob (4). In folklore it is the plant belonging to the mischievous house goblin Robin Goodfellow (the name Robin is a diminutive of Robert) (5). This leafy plant is generally hairy, with bright green finely divided leaves and reddish-tinged stems (2). It has many varied local names including bloodwort, which reflects the use of the plant in folk medicine to staunch blood flow (5). Although the petals are usually bright pink, white forms arise in some areas (2).

This plant is able to tolerate shade, and often occurs close to human habitation (5) (3). Typical habitats favoured by this species include woodlands, hedgerows, coastal shingle and shaded banks. It also thrives in artificial sites that are subject to disturbance (3).

Common throughout Britain up to altitudes of 700m. It also occurs in Europe with the exception of the far north, in temperate parts of Asia reaching Japan and the Himalayas, as well as North Africa, where it is a rare species found in the mountains (2). It has been introduced widely outside of this native range, and has become naturalised in North and South America (2) (3).

Not threatened (3).

This plant is not threatened.

A strong scented herb with swollen nodes and reddish-pink flowers, growing in shade and wet places from 1800-2900 m. Plant parts are medicinal, containing a bitter substance, geranin, which is used as an astringent and for application on tumours and ulcers.

Petals of Chinese specimens of Geranium robertianum are unusually short. In other areas, petals vary from 0.9 to 1.4 cm. Geranium purpureum Villars, which is not recorded from China, is quite similar to G. robertianum and has short petals. However, it can be separated by its yellow anthers and by its mericarps closely ribbed. Geranium purpureum is widespread in N Africa, Europe, and W Asia as far as Iran.

Annual or biennial, erect, up to 60 cm or more tall, pubescent-glandular. Leaves trisect, 30-40 x 30-75 mm, 3-5-angled; segments pinnatipartite, lobulate; lobules obtuse, mucronate, sparsely pilose; petiole 1.8-44 cm long, pubescent villous; stipules 2-3 mm long, broadly ovate, subacuminate. Peduncles 2-flowered, glandular or villous. Sepals 5-7 mm long, ovate or oblong-ovate, villous-glandular, awn c. 2 mm long. Petals c. twice as long as sepals, 3-nerved, reddish-pink, limb obovate, tapering towards the base. Beak 8-11 mm long, glabrous. Mericarps glabrous. Seed 2 mm long, elliptic-oblong, reddish-brown, umbo slightly projecting, black.

Biennials or sometimes annuals. Stem 10-55 cm tall, erect, not rooting at nodes, with 0.4-1 mm ± patent glandular trichomes. Stipules ovate, distinct. Leaves opposite; petiole with 0.3-0.5 mm retrorse not appressed nonglandular trichomes and 0.4-2.4 mm patent glandular trichomes; leaf blade 3-9 cm, palmately divided, pilose with ± appressed glandular trichomes; segments 5, rhombic, with a petiolule on middle segment 0.2-0.4 × as long as its segment, 16-46-lobed in distal half, ratio of second sinus/middle segment length = 0.26-0.5. Cymules solitary, 2-flowered; peduncle 1-6 cm. Pedicel 0.5-2 cm, with 0.4-1.5 mm patent glandular trichomes and 0.3-0.5 mm retrorse not appressed nonglandular trichomes; bracteoles lanceolate. Sepals 6-8 mm, mucro 1.8-2.5 mm, ratio of mucro/sepal length = ca. 0.3, outside with 0.3-0.5 mm ± patent nonglandular trichomes and 0.4-3.2 mm patent glandular trichomes, inside glabrous. Petals purplish, 7.5-9.7(-10.4) mm, erect to patent, glabrous, apex rounded. Staminal filaments pinkish, lanceolate with an abruptly narrowed apex, glabrous; anthers purplish, 0.4-0.6 mm. Nectaries 5, hemispheric, glabrous. Stigma pinkish. Fruit 1.9-2.3 cm, erect when immature; mericarps reticulate, ridges sparse and scarcely anastomosing in basal half but denser apically and forming 1 or 2(or 3) overlapping collar-like keels at apex, without a basal callus, glabrous or sometimes with ca. 0.2 mm nonglandular trichomes, small glands, or both; rostrum 1.7-1.9 cm, with a 4-5 mm narrowed apex; stigmatic remains 1-1.3 mm. Seeds 2.1-2.2 mm. Fl. Apr-Jun, fr. May-Aug. 2n = 64.

Distribution: N. America, Canary Islands, C. & S. Europe, Turkey, Iran, Caucasus, Siberia, C. Asia and W. Himalayas.

Europe, C. Asia, Himalaya (Kashmir to Nepal), Siberia, east to China and Japan, America.

Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; Africa, W Asia, Europe].

2100 m

Fl. Per.: May-June.

Forests; 900-3300 m.

Geranium eriophorum H. Léveillé.

Robertiella robertianum (L,.) Hanks
Geranium Robertianum I,. Sp. PI. 681. 1753. Geranium inodorum G. Don, Syst. 1 : 721. 1831.
Stem commonly branched at the base, the branches ascending or decumbent, 1-5.5 dm. long, purplish, pubescent with delicate glandular hairs; leaf-blades angular in outline, the divisions ovate, 1.5-6 cm. long, their teeth or lobes abruptly pointed ; pedicels finely glandular-villous ; sepals lanceolate, 6-8.5 mm. long, the tips filiform; petals red-purple, 8-11 mm. long, the blades cuneate or obovate; style-column 1-1.5 cm. long, exclusive of the slender subulate beak; carpel-bodies 2.5 mm. long, wrinkled; seeds granular.
Type locality : Northern Europe.
Distribution : Nova Scotia to Manitoba, New Jersey, and Missouri ; also in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Flowering from April to June; fruiting from May to August.

Geranium robertianum is occurring in Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang of China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; Africa, W Asia, Europe.

Biennials or sometimes annuals. Stem 10-55 cm tall, erect, not rooting at nodes, with patent glandular trichomes. Stipules ovate, distinct. Leaves opposite; petiole with retrorse not appressed nonglandular trichomes and patent glandular trichomes; leaf blade 3-9 cm long, palmately divided, pilose with glandular trichomes; segments 5, rhombic, with a petiolule on middle segment, 16-40-lobed in distal half. Cymules solitary, 2-flowered; peduncle 1-6 cm long. Pedicel 0.5-2 cm long; bracteoles lanceolate. Sepals 6-8 mm long, mucro 1.8-2.5 mm, outside with 0.3-0.5 mm ± patent nonglandular trichomes and 0.4-3.2 mm patent glandular trichomes, inside glabrous. Petals purplish, 7.5-10 mm long, erect to patent, glabrous, apex rounded. Staminal filaments pinkish, lanceolate with an abruptly narrowed apex, glabrous; anthers purplish, 0.4-0.6 mm long. Nectaries 5, hemispheric, glabrous. Stigma pinkish. Fruit 1.9-2.5 cm long, erect when immature; mericarps reticulate, ridges sparse and scarcely anastomosing in basal half but denser apically and forming 1-2-overlapping collar-like keels at apex, without a basal callus, glabrous or sometimes with nonglandular trichomes, small glands, or both; rostrum 1.7-1.9 cm long, with a 4-5 mm narrowed apex; stigmatic remains 1-1.3 mm. Seeds 2.1-2.2 mm.

The chromosomal number of Geranium robertianum is 2n = 64 (Arohonka, 1982; Laane and Lie, 1985; Lövkvist and Hultgård, 1999).

Growing in forest; 1000-3500 m.

Geranium robertianum, commonly known as herb-Robert, or (in North America) Roberts geranium, is a common species of cranesbill native to Europe and parts of Asia, North Africa, and parts of North America. The plant has many vernacular names, including red robin, death come quickly, fox geranium, stinking Bob, squinter-pip (Shropshire) and crow's foot.