Weed Information: Erodium cicutarium (filaree, redstem)
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Erodium cicutarium (filaree, redstem)

Family: Geraniaceae

Description

Also known by the common names of `storksbill` and `cranesbill` in reference to the long, pointed fruits which are typical of the geranium family. The leaves of this species look and smell very much like carrot leaves even though carrot is in a different family. Redstem filaree is well adapted to dry rangeland and often provides valuable forage for sheep but can be a troublesome weed in many situations.

Characteristics

Flower Color
  • Red (or pink)
  • Purple
  • Red-purple
Inflorescence Type (How the flowers are arranged on the plant)
  • Axillary umbel
Number of Petals
  • 5 petals
Petal Separation
  • Completely free to base
Petal Tip
  • Rounded
Flower Symmetry
  • Flowers regular
Flower Length (Head length in the Asteraceae)
  • 4 mm (.16 inch)
  • 5 mm (.20 inch)
  • 6 mm (.24 inch)
  • 7 mm (.28 inch)
  • 8 mm (.32 inch)
Flower Width (Head width in the Asteraceae)
  • 6 mm (.24 inch)
  • 7 mm (.28 inch)
  • 8 mm (.32 inch)
  • 9 mm (.36 inch)
  • 1.0 cm (.40 inch)
Number of Sepals
  • 5 sepals
Sepal Separation
  • Completely free to base
Sepal Tip
  • Pointed
  • Spine-like
Flower Sex
  • Bisexual (perfect)
Number of Styles
  • 5 styles
Number of Stamens
  • 5 stamens
  • 10 stamens
Stamens Attached to the Petals
  • Stamens NOT attached to the petals
Stamens Connate (united)
  • Filaments or anthers NOT united

Carpel Separation
  • Carpels united (or one)
Number of Carpels
  • 5 carpels
Ovary Position
  • Superior (hypogynous)
Fruit Type
  • Schizocarp
Fruit Length at Maturity
  • 2.0 cm (.80 inch)
  • 2.5 cm (1.0 inch)
  • 3.0 cm (1.2 inches)
  • 3.5 cm (1.4 inches)
  • 4.0 cm (1.6 inches)
  • 4.5 cm (1.8 inches)
  • 5.0 cm (2.0 inches)
Fruit Width at Maturity
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
  • 4 mm (.16 inch)
  • 5 mm (.20 inch)
  • 6 mm (.24 inch)
Burs
  • Fruit or seed NOT bur-like

Leaf Arrangement
  • All basal
  • Opposite
Leaf Type
  • Compound odd pinnate > 8 leaflets
  • Pinnately dissected
Stipules
  • Foliaceous 4-10 mm (.16 - .40 in) long
  • Foliaceous > 1 cm (> .40 inch) long
Tendrils
  • Tendrils absent
Venation
  • Pinnate
Petiole (leaf stem) Blade Ratio
  • Petiole 25% - 75% total length
Leaf Length (blade PLUS petiole)
  • 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.60 inches)
  • 4 - 10 cm (1.60 - 4.0 inches)
  • 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
Leaf Width
  • 5 - 10 mm (.20 - .40 inch)
  • 1 - 2 cm (.40 - .80 inch)
  • 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.6 inches)
Leaf Shape (simple leaves only)
  • Oblong
  • Oval
Leaf or Leaflet Margin
  • Lobed
  • Parted
  • Serrate
  • Serrate, doubly
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Base
  • Acute (cuneate)
  • Acuminate (attenuate)
Leaf or Leaflet Tip
  • Acute
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Surface
  • Hirsute
Succulence
  • Not succulent

Milky Juice
  • Juice NOT milky (watery)
Woodiness
  • Herbaceous
Spines or Thorns
  • Spines or Thorns ABSENT
Aromatic (vegetative structures)
  • Not aromatic
Life Cycle
  • Annual
  • Biennial
Growth Habit (while flowering)
  • Prostrate
  • Spreading ascending
Plant Height at Maturity
  • < 1 cm (< .40 inch)
  • 1 - 5 cm (.40 - 2.0 inches)
  • 5 - 10 cm (2.0 - 4.0 inches)
  • 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
  • 2 - 4 dm (8.0 - 16.0 inches)
Wind Dissemination
  • Not wind disseminated
Moisture Regime
  • Mesic
  • Arid
Chlorophyll
  • Present

Stem Cross Section
  • Round
Flowering Stem Leaves
  • Stem uniformly leafy
Main Stem Branches
  • Main stem branched

Root or Vegetative Propagule
  • Tap Root

US State
  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Massachusetts
  • Maine
  • Michigan
  • Missouri
  • North Carolina
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • West Virginia
  • Hawaii
  • Indiana
  • Maryland
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Iowa
  • Idaho
  • Minnesota
  • Montana
  • North Dakota
  • New Mexico
  • Nevada
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • Washington
  • Wyoming
  • Nebraska
Canadian Province or Territory
  • British Columbia
  • New Brunswick
  • Nova Scotia
  • Ontario
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Quebec
  • Alberta
  • Manitoba
  • Saskatchewan
Other
  • District of Columbia
  • Labrador
  • Greenland

  • An Illustrated Guide To Arizona Weeds, 1972 (ISBN 0-8165-0288-9) 338 pages. See page: 192
  • California Growers Weed Identification Handbook, 1968 - 1998 University of California Publication # 4030-1, See page: 111
  • Common Weeds of the Canadian Prairies, 1963 (Cat# A53-1136-1) See page: 36
  • Common Weed Seedlings of the United States and Canada, 1978 Coop Ext. Univ. of Georgia, Athens, See page: 20
  • Garden Weeds of Southern California, 1981, See page: 67
  • Gilkey`s Weeds of the Pacific Northwest, 1980 (ISBN 0-88246-039-0) See page: 174
  • How to Know the Weeds, 1972, (ISBN# 0-697-04880-2) See page: 102
  • Northwest Weeds, 1990 (ISBN 0-87842-249-8) See page: 69
  • Ontario Weeds, 1992 Agdex 640, Publication #505 See page: 142
  • Selected Weeds of Oregon, 1985 and 1989 Supplement (s) Oregon State Dept. of Agriculture, See page: s25
  • S.W.S.S. Weed ID Guide, 1993 Section Number and Five letter code: 11 EROCI
  • Weeds, 1955 (1980) Walter Conrad Muenscher, ISBN# 0-8014-1266-8 See page: 292, 293
  • Weeds, A Golden Guide, 1972 ISBN#0-307-24353-2 See page: 74
  • Weeds of Alberta, 1983 Alberta Environmental Centre Agdex 640-4, See page: 51
  • Weeds of California, 1970, State of California Publications and Documents. See page: 274, 275
  • Weeds of California and other Western States, 2007 (ISBN 13: 978-1-879906-69-3) See Page: 835
  • Weeds of Colorado, 1990 Cooperative Extension, Colorado State Univ. Bulletin 521A, See page: 96
  • Weeds of Eastern Washington and Adjacent Areas, 1972 (LOC 72-83635) See page: 184
  • Weeds of Southern Turfgrasses, 1992 Univ. of Florida, Gainesville Publication # SP-79, See page: 128
  • Weeds of the Northeast, 1956, Univ. of Delaware Field Manual #1 See species #: 309
  • Weeds of the Northeast, 1997 Cornell University ISBN# 0-8014-8334-4 See page: 242
  • Weeds of the Northern United States and Canada, 1964 Montgomery See page: 103
  • Weeds of the Northern U.S, and Canada, 1999 Royer and Dickinson, (ISBN# 1-55105-221-0) See page: 144-45, 147
  • Weeds of the South, University of Georgia 2009, ISBN#0-8203-3046-9 See page: 214
  • Weeds of the Southern United States, 1975, North Carolina Ag. Extension Circular #599 See page: 22
  • Weeds of the United States and Their Control, Lorenzi 1987, ISBN# 0-442-25884-4 See page: 187
  • Weeds of the West, 1992 (ISBN 0941570-13-4) See page: 352
  • Weeds of the West, 2000 (ISBN 0941570-13-4) See page: 350
  • Weeds of Utah, 1971 UAES Special Report 21, See page: 53
  • Listed as a `Weed` by the Biota of North America Program, 2008 x
  • Listed in the WSSA Composite List of Weeds X
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