大花老鹳草 da hua lao guan cao

Geranium grandiflorum Edgeworth (1846), not Linnaeus (1753); G. meeboldii Briquet.

Perennials. Rootstock ± horizontal, 7.4-11 mm in diam., not tuberculate; roots unknown. Stem 9-32 cm tall, erect, not rooting at nodes, with 0.2-0.8 mm retrorse to patent nonglandular trichomes and sometimes 0.2-0.7 mm patent glandular trichomes. Stipules lanceolate, distinct. Leaves opposite; petiole with 0.2-0.6 mm retrorse to patent nonglandular trichomes and sometimes 0.2-0.8 mm patent glandular trichomes; leaf blade 2.2-3.8(-5.5) cm, palmately cleft, ratio of main sinus/middle segment length = 0.65-0.79(-0.86), pilose with appressed nonglandular trichomes; segments 5, rhombic, 2.9-9.8 mm wide at base, 8-19-lobed in distal half, ratio of second sinus/middle segment length = 0.17-0.33. Cymules solitary, 2-flowered; peduncle 2.5-10.8 cm. Pedicel 0.2-2.1 cm, with 0.2-0.5 mm patent to retrorse nonglandular trichomes and 0.2-1.2 mm patent glandular trichomes; bracteoles lanceolate. Sepals 6.7-11.3 mm, mucro 0.7-1.3(-1.9) mm, ratio of mucro/sepal length = 0.09-0.16, outside with 0.1-0.5 mm patent nonglandular trichomes and 0.3-1.1 mm patent glandular trichomes, inside glabrous. Petals deep blue to whitish, (1.2-)1.4-2.1 cm, erect to patent, both surfaces glabrous, margin basally ciliate, apex rounded. Staminal filaments purplish, lanceolate with a broadly triangular base and an abruptly narrowed apex, both sides glabrous but proximal third with 0.2-0.3 mm cilia; anthers dark blue, 1.9-2.7 mm. Nectaries 5, hemispheric, abaxially glabrous, apex with a tuft of trichomes. Stigma pink to purplish. Fruit 2.7-3 cm, reflexed when immature; mericarps smooth but usually with 1 or 2 transversal veins at apex, with a basal callus, with 0.2-0.3 mm ± appressed nonglandular trichomes and usually only apically with 0.6-0.7 mm patent glandular trichomes; rostrum 2.1-2.4 cm, with a 7-8.9 mm narrowed apex; stigmatic remains 1.9-2.2 mm. Seeds 3-3.2 mm. Fl. Jun-Jul, fr. Aug-Sep.

Subalpine and alpine meadows; 3700-4400 m. S and W Xizang [Afghanistan, N India, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan].

This species is quite similar to Geranium pratense. In addition to characters mentioned in the key, G. himalayense has leaf blades with 5 sometimes overlapped segments and relatively shorter pedicels.