Filaree Storksbill
Erodium cicutarium
Also called "Heron-bill," this creeping desert plant is one of the first bloomers of the season. Red stems spread along the ground up to 20 inches long supporting flowers and tiny, sword-shaped fruits. Ripening seed pods twist into a spiral. Fern-like leaves are 1/2 to 4 inches long.
Filaree, a member of the Geranium Family (Geraniaceae) was native to Eurasia and introduced into the US by early Spanish settlers then became naturalised in the Southwest. The Texas Storksbill (E. texanum) has flowers twice the size and is as widely distributed.
Range
Common throughout all the deserts of the southwest.
Habitat
Open desert flats, mesas and hillsides below 7,000 feet.
Flowers
Small, 5-lobed, loosely clustered lavender flowers, 1/2-inch wide, bloom February through June.
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