YASIN J. NASIR

Perennial 30-60 cm tall, glandular-villous. Rootstock with 1-2 ± ovoid tubers. Stem erect, striate, retrorsely pubescent-villous. Leaves 30-35 mm broad, orbicular to sub-reniform, palmatisect into 5-7 segments; segments pinnatipartite or-fid unequally into acute-obtuse lobes, appressed hairy. Stipules 2 mm long, ovate, sub-acuminate, pubescent; petiole 1-3 cm long, those of basal leaves up to 2.5 cm long, glandular. Peduncles 2-flowered. Flowers 13-15 mm broad. Pedicels 14-25 mm long. Bracts 1-2 mm long; lanceolate, dense hairy. Sepals (3.5-) 6.5-8 mm long, ovate, villous, awn c. 1 mm long, margin white. Petals 13-15 mm long, obcordate to obovate, emarginate, retuse, cuneate, reddish-pink, claw well-developed, ciliate. Filaments rose-cold red, hairy and ciliate in the upper 2/3 rd, ± dilated at the base and barely exceeding sepal length. Beak ± 2.5 cm long, pubescent-villous. Mericarps sparsely hairy. Seed c. 2.5 mm long, oblong, smooth.

Fl. Per.: May-June.

Type: Described from Kashmir.

Distribution: Temperate W. & N.W. Himalaya.

Not common. Distinguished by the tubers, the emarginate-retuse petals, the rose coloured hairy filaments and awned sepals. Closely allied to the European Geranium tuberosum from which it differs in the glandular parts (in this respect similar to Geranium macrostylum), the smaller leaves, longer petioles (up to 25 cm) and a well developed petal claw.