Geranium dissectum is a creeping or semi-upright annual or biennial that can grow 35-50 cm tall. It reproduces by seed and is a common weed of crop fields, grasslands, and hedgebanks.
It is easily identified by its deeply divided, hairy, green leaves, short stems, and blue to purple flowers.
Cut-Leaved Cranes Bill Classification
- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Tracheophyta
- Subphylum: Angiospermae
- Class: Dicotyledonae
- Order: Geraniales
- Family: Geraniaceae
- Genus: Geranium
- Species: Geranium dissectum
- Common Names: Cutleaf Geranium or Cut-Leaved Geranium
Nativity and Distribution
Cut-Leaved Cranes Bill is native to Europe. Today, it can be found on other continents, including:
- Australia
- North America
- Asia
- New Zealand
Physical Characteristics
- Leaves: Opposite, narrow-lobed, fern-like leaves
- Fruits: 2-3 long crane beak-shaped capsules
- Stems: Erect to spreading, green to reddish stems
- Flowers: Five-petaled blue to purple flowers
- Roots: Fibrous root system
G. dissectum is a sprawling or semi-erect annual or biennial herb that grows 35-50 cm tall. You can identify the weed by its deeply divided, hairy, green leaves, short green to reddish stems, and blue to purple flowers.
The leaves are simple, opposite, palmately divided with deep, narrow lobes, about 1-3 cm long. Each leaf is cut into 5–7 segments, giving a delicate, fern-like appearance.
Stems are erect to spreading, clumping, and green to reddish in colour. The slender green to reddish stems are covered with stiff, backward-pointing hairs.
Cut-Leaved Cranes Bill produces small, five-petaled, blue to purple flowers, borne at the top of the branching stems. Flowering occurs in late spring to mid-summer and up to October in cooler areas.
The seed is nearly round, strongly pitted, and light brown in colour.
Reproduction, Dispersal, and Life Cycle
- Life Cycle: Annual or biennial
- Seeds: A prolific seed producer
- Climate: Warm and humid climate
- Dispersal: Explosive mechanism, animal movement, and as a seed contaminant
Cutleaf Geranium behaves as an annual or biennial, thriving in warm and humid climates. It reproduces by seeds, which are mainly pollinated by insects.
A single plant can produce hundreds of seeds, which can remain viable in the soil for up to 10 years.
Upon maturity, the fruit capsule springs open, dispersing the seeds meters near the parent plant. The seeds are also dispersed by animals or as a soil and seed contaminant.
The herb prefers well-draining soil with full or partial sunlight. It is a weed of pastures, orchards, landscaping, roadsides, and other disturbed sites.
Similar Plants
- Geranium carolina
- Geranium molle
- Geranium pusillum
- Geranium maculatum
Uses
- It is an important pollinator plant in gardens, attracting bees and other beneficial insects.
- It was used in traditional medicine as a remedy for diarrhea, dysentery, mouth inflammations, and piles.
- The plant is used for soil stabilization on disturbed land.
- It is an important food source for small mammals and caterpillars.
Impact on Farms and Environment
Cut-Leaved Cranes Bill is typically found in disturbed open shrublands, woodlands, roadsides, and waste areas. In these habitats, it can outcompete native species and negatively impact biodiversity.
It is also a minor weed of vineyards, orchards, pastures, and crop fields, where it competes with legumes, cereal crops, and other pasture plants for valuable resources. In turf, it remains prostrate, impacting its growth and aesthetic value.
The weed’s high seed production and long viability make control, challenging which can compound management costs. The dense infestations can also reduce crop yields and limit proper harvesting.
Control
- Mechanical control: Pulling and Cultivating before flowering
- Chemical control: Applying herbicides like sulfometuron, imazapyr, glyphosate, 2,4-D, and dicamba
G. dissectum can be easily controlled by hand-pulling, digging, or cultivation if done before it flowers or sets seed. Ensure to remove all the root fragments and dispose of them properly to prevent regrowth.
Herbicides like sulfometuron, 2,4-D, imazapyr, aminopyralid, dicamba, glyphosate, and fluroxypyr can also provide effective control against the weed, depending on the area of infestation.
Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.