Dusky Crane's-bill - Geranium phaeum

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Description

Medium height, tufted, hairy plant with erect stems branched towards the top. Leaves polygonal in outline, divided to just over half way into 5-7 broadly oval, deeply toothed lobes. Flowers very dark purple, 15 to 20 mm, in pairs forming lax terminal clusters. Petals slightly reflexed, often with a short point. Fruit hairy.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Damp shady places, open woodland and hedgerows.

When to see it

May to July

Life History

Perennial

UK Status

Uncommon nationally.

VC55 Status

Very uncommon in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 3 of the 617 tetrads.

  • Graham Calow
    Leire, Jubilee Walk (Disused Railway)
    17 May 2010
  • Graham Calow
    Near Huncote Road, Stoney Stanton
    23 June 2016
  • AJ Cann
    Jubilee Walk Leire
    07 May 2017
  • Graham Calow
    Leire, Jubilee Way disused railway
    13 May 2024
  • Graham Calow
    Back Lane, Leire
    13 May 2014
  • Graham Calow
    Back Lane, Leire
    13 May 2014

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species data profile ?

Species profile

Common names
Mourning Widow, Dusky Crane's-bill
Species group:
flowering plant
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Geraniales
Family:
Geraniaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
12
First record:
17/05/2010 (Calow, Graham)
Last record:
24/06/2025 (Cann, Alan)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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Latest images

Latest records

  • Graham Calow
    Back Lane, Leire
    13 May 2014
    leaf
  • Graham Calow
    Near Huncote Road, Stoney Stanton
    23 June 2016
  • Graham Calow
    Near Huncote Road, Stoney Stanton
    23 June 2016
  • Graham Calow
    Back Lane, Leire
    13 May 2014