{{Short description|Species of plant}} {{speciesbox | image = Geranium molle-01 (xndr).jpg | genus = Geranium | species = molle | authority = L. }}
'''Geranium molle''', the '''dove's-foot crane's-bill'''<ref>{{Citation |year=2007 |title=BSBI 2007 list |publisher=Botanical Society of the British Isles |url=http://www.bsbi.org.uk/BSBI2007.xls |accessdate=2012-02-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20090707234654/http%3A//www.bsbi.org.uk/BSBI2007.xls |archivedate=2009-07-07 }}</ref> or '''dovesfoot geranium''',<ref>{{Citation |year=1994 |title=Plants of Coastal British Columbia |author=Pojar and MacKinnon}}</ref> is an annual herbaceous plant of the family Geraniaceae.
== Description == ''Geranium molle'' is a small plant reaching on average {{convert|5|-|30|cm}} in height.<ref name=Pignatti>Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia – Edagricole – 1982. Vol. II, pag. 10</ref> It is a very branched plant, quite hairy, with several ascending stems. The leaves are palmate, cut 5 to 9 times. The basal leaves are arranged in a rosette, the upper ones are sessile, rounded and hairy, with a long petiole of about {{convert|5|-|12|mm}}.<ref name=Pignatti/> The flowers are pinkish-purple, 8–12 mm in diameter, with very jagged petals. It blooms from April to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite and mainly pollinated by Hymenoptera. Fruits are glabrous, usually with 6-9 transverse ridges.<ref name=Pignatti/>
== Synonyms == {{div col|colwidth=30em}} *''Geranium luganense'' Chenevard <ref>Synonyms from [http://www.catalogueoflife.org/show_species_details.php?record_id=3706077 Catalogue of life]{{Dead link|date=December 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> *''Geranium abortivum'' De Not. ex Ces. *''Geranium brutium [b] micranthum'' N.Terracc. *''Geranium brutium'' Gasp. *''Geranium calabrum'' Ten. *''Geranium leiocaulon'' Ledeb. *''Geranium x luganense'' Chenevard *''Geranium macropetalum'' (Boiss.) Posp. *''Geranium molle [a] triviale'' (A.Terracc.) Gortani & M.Gortani *''Geranium molle [b] caespitosum'' (N.Terracc.) Graebn. *''Geranium molle [b] leiocaulon'' (Ledeb.) Graebn. *''Geranium molle [B] pinguis'' (K.Malý) Graebn. *''Geranium molle [B] stipulare'' (Kunze) Graebn. *''Geranium molle [c] parvulum'' (Ten.) Graebn. *''Geranium molle f. albiflorum'' R.Uechtr. *''Geranium molle f. annuum'' (Schur) Gams *''Geranium molle f. candidum'' Beck *''Geranium molle f. pinguis'' K.Malý *''Geranium molle f. stipulare'' (Kunze) K.Malý *''Geranium molle f. subperenne'' (Schur) Gams *''Geranium molle [frm.] glabrata'' A.Terracc. *''Geranium molle [frm.] pygmaea'' A.Terracc. *''Geranium molle [frm.] sepincola'' A.Terracc. *''Geranium molle [frm.] tenuisecta'' A.Terracc. *''Geranium molle [frm.] trivialis'' A.Terracc. *''Geranium molle [frm.] villosissima'' A.Terracc. *''Geranium molle [I] annuum'' (Schur) Graebn. *''Geranium molle [I] triviale'' A.Terrac. ex Graebn. *''Geranium molle [II] subperenne'' (Schur) Graebn. *''Geranium molle [II] tenuisecta'' (A.Terracc.) Graebn. *''Geranium molle [l] album'' (Picard) Graebn. *''Geranium molle [l] suaveolens'' (Boenn. ex Rchb.) Graebn. *''Geranium molle subf. abortiva'' (De Not. ex Cesati) A.Terracc. *''Geranium molle subsp. brutium'' (Gasp.) Graebn. *''Geranium molle subsp. brutium'' (Gasp.) P.H.Davis *''Geranium molle subsp. normale'' A.Terracc. *''Geranium molle subsp. pollinense'' A.Terracc. *''Geranium molle subsp. sinjaricum'' Al-Shehbaz & Al-Khakani *''Geranium molle subsp. stipulare'' (Kunze) Dostál *''Geranium molle subsp. stipulare'' (Kunze) Holmboe *''Geranium molle subsp. stipulare'' (Kunze) Soó *''Geranium molle subsp. villosum'' (Ten.) A.Terracc. *''Geranium molle subvar. macropetalum'' (Boiss.) Gams *''Geranium molle var. abortivum'' (De Not. ex Ces.) Ces., Pass. & Gibelli *''Geranium molle var. abortivum'' (De Not. ex Ces.) Nyman *''Geranium molle var. album'' Picard *''Geranium molle var. annuum'' Schur *''Geranium molle var. arenarium'' A.Terracc. *''Geranium molle var. brutium ''(Gasp.) K.Malý *''Geranium molle var. caespitosum'' N.Terracc. *''Geranium molle var. caucasicum'' Regel ex Woronow *''Geranium molle var. corymbiferum'' Just. *''Geranium molle var. diffusum'' Ten. ex A.Terracc. *''Geranium molle var. elatum'' Ten. ex A.Terracc. *''Geranium molle var. graecum'' A.Terracc. *''Geranium molle var. grandiflorum'' Lange *''Geranium molle var. grandiflorum'' Lojac. *''Geranium molle var. grandiflorum'' Vis. *''Geranium molle var. grandiflorum'' Viv. *''Geranium molle var. lucanum'' Gasp. ex Nyman *''Geranium molle var. macropetalum ''Boiss. *''Geranium molle var. maioriflorum'' Borbás *''Geranium molle var. maritimum'' Lojac. *''Geranium molle var. minus'' Chevall. *''Geranium molle var. montanum'' A.Terracc. *''Geranium molle var. montanum'' A.Terracc. ex N.Terracc. *''Geranium molle var. parvulum'' Ten. *''Geranium molle var. stipulare'' (Kunze) Nyman *''Geranium molle var. suaveolens'' Boenn. ex Rchb. *''Geranium molle var. suaveolens'' (Boenn. ex Rchb.) Gams *''Geranium molle var. subperenne'' Schur *''Geranium molle var. supinum'' Fouc. & Jouss. *''Geranium molle var. typicum'' Posp. *''Geranium molle var. villosum'' (Ten.) Cout. *''Geranium molle var. vulcanicum'' A.Terracc. *''Geranium x oenense'' Borbás ex Hallier *''Geranium pollinense'' N.Terracc. ex A.Terracc. *''Geranium pseudovillosum'' Schur *''Geranium punctatum'' Kanitz *''Geranium pyrenaicum subsp. villosum'' (Ten.) Nyman *''Geranium stipulare'' Kunze *''Geranium villosum var. gracile'' Sennen *''Geranium villosum var. villosissimum'' Ten. *''Geranium villosum'' Ten. {{div col end}}
==Distribution and habitat== It is native to the Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean areas, but has naturalized in other parts of Europe, in southwestern and central Asia and in North Africa, though it may have already been in those parts and areas, just not properly identified.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}} It is considered an introduced species in North America, where it is known as '''Dovefoot Geranium''' or '''Awnless Geranium'''. Although non-native in parts of its range, this species poses little threat to native ecosystems.<ref>E-FLORA BC: ELECTRONIC ATLAS OF THE FLORA OF BRITISH COLUMBIA</ref>
It is found in dry meadows, hedges, banks and forest edges. It prefers sunny places on sandy and relatively dry soils, at an altitude of {{convert|0|-|1000|m}} above sea level.<ref name=Pignatti/>
==Herbal medicine== Nicholas Culpeper in his herbal of 1652 suggested a variety of uses for ''G. molle'', including the treatment of internal and external injuries. A note was made that the bruised leaf healed external injuries faster. A decoction in wine was said to relieve gout and other joint pains.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Culpeper |first1=Nicholas |title=The English physitian: or an astrologo-physical discourse of the vulgar herbs of this nation |location=London |publisher=Peter Cole |year=1652}}</ref>
==Gallery== <gallery> File:Geranium molle Sturm4.jpg|Figure from Deutschlands Flora in Abbildungen, 1796 File:Geranium molle 001.JPG|Plant of ''Geranium molle'' File:(MHNT) Geranium molle - leaves, buds flower.jpg|Leaves, buds, flower File:Geranium molle.jpg|Flowers of ''Geranium molle'' File:Geranium molle IMG 2481.jpg|Close-up of a flower of ''Geranium molle'' File:(MHNT) Geranium molle - Immature fruit.jpg|Immature fruit File:Geranium molle IMG 2469.jpg|Hairy stem of ''Geranium molle'' File:Jong blad van Geranium molle var. Brutium. Locatie, Tuinreservaat Jonker vallei.jpg|Young leaves of ''Geranium molle var. Brutium''. File:Wiki-Geranium-Molle-Spring-Automn.jpg|Leaf colouring from spring (top left) to autumn (bottom right) </gallery>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Geranium molle}} *[http://www.kuleuven-kortrijk.be/bioweb/?lang=en&detail=169 Universiteit Leuven Photo gallery] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003094732/http://www.kuleuven-kortrijk.be/bioweb/?lang=en&detail=169 |date=2011-10-03 }} *[http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4416,4426,4432 Jepson Manual Treatment] *[http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&where-taxon=Geranium+molle U.C. Photo gallery] *[http://www.flowersinisrael.com/Geraniummolle_page.htm Geranium molle] Flowers in Israel
{{Taxonbar|from=Q164017}}
molle Category:Flora of Europe Category:Flora of the United Kingdom Category:Flora of Lebanon Category:Plants described in 1753 Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus