Doves Foot Cranesbill Geranium - Geranium molle - Pink/Purple Wildflowers

Doves Foot Cranesbill - Geranium - Wildflowers

Geranium Molle - Hebridean Wildflowers
These lovely pink mauve wildflowers seen in the Hebrides are very pretty. They are low growing in dry places, they love the sandy dune like areas.

They appear as if they have ten petals but actually its five obdurate petals. They are more commonly seen throughout the rest of the British Isles, than they are in Scotland

In some places and countries, these geraniums are classed as "weeds".

Low Growing & Spreading Plant

They are a low growing spreading plant, with beautiful pinky mauve flowers from May to September on long hairy stems and have kidney shaped leaves. They are part of the Family of Geraniaceae.

Annual - Regarded as a Perennial
Though it's an annual, some regard it as a perennial as it self-seeds in place so reliably. This plant loves really dry soil, which is why you can see it on grassland, dunes and waste ground. The plant can reach up to 12 inches in height although usually is lower to the ground. The Dovesfoot Crane's bill is a branched plant, with several ascending stems

Common Names
Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill, Dovesfoot Cranesbill, Dove’s Foot Geranium, Dovefoot Geranium, Awnless Geranium, cranesbill geranium, soft crane's-bill, soft cranesbill, soft geranium, woodland geranium

Name Derivation
The name Crane's-bill or Cranesbill is derived from the fact that the pistil & calyx, once the flowers are spent, they look like the heads of cranes and the leaves are said to look like doves feet.

Molle - Means "Soft"
The name "molle" means "soft" which relates to the plants soft hairy nature

Flowers
The flowers have obdurate petals, that is to say that each petal looks like it is two, so it would appear to have ten petals, in reality its just five (as you can see clearly in the opposite picture. The flowers are 8-12mm in diameter with the jagged petals

There are ten fertile stamens, with the inner filaments connected into a tube about 1 mm long at their base all having anther.

This lovely wildflower seen not as much in Scotland and in the rest of the British Isles has hairless,ridged fruit and smooth seeds

Leaves
The leaves are kidney shaped with the lower ones forming a basal rosette, the upper leaves being alternate and have 5 - 7 lobes. In autumn the leaves turn quite red

Medicinal Uses of the Doves Foot Cranesbill

This plant has been used for the treatment of colic, gout, aching joints and muscle pains. It was also used to assist the healing of bruises, cuts and open wounds

Mauve Geranium
Isle of Harris

Geranium - Doves Foot Cranesbill - Western Isles Flora

Doves Foot Cranesbill
Western Isles Wildflowers

Pink Geranium - Wildflowers - Western Isles

Pink - Purple Geranium
Hebrides Flora

Click pictures below for larger photographs

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