白花老鹳草 bai hua lao guan cao

Perennials. Rootstock ± horizontal, 5.5-9.6 mm in diam., not tuberculate, with thickened roots along rootstock. Stem (17-)40-60(-100) cm tall, erect, not rooting at nodes, with 0.2-0.5 mm retrorse ± appressed nonglandular trichomes. Stipules lanceolate, distinct. Leaves 1(or 2) alternate but opposite at inflorescence; petiole with 0.2-0.6 mm retrorse ± appressed or uncinate nonglandular trichomes; leaf blade 3.2-6.3(-9) cm, palmately cleft, ratio of main sinus/middle segment length = (0.65-)0.77-0.83(-0.84), pilose with appressed nonglandular trichomes; segments 5, rhombic, 4-14.8 mm wide at base, 9-22-lobed in distal half, ratio of second sinus/middle segment length = 0.17-0.25. Cymules solitary or in aggregates at apex of each branch, 2-flowered; peduncle 1.3-3(-11.5) cm. Pedicel 0.4-2.7 cm, with 0.1-0.4 mm retrorse uncinate nonglandular trichomes and 0.2-0.7 mm patent glandular trichomes; bracteoles lanceolate. Sepals 4-7.1 mm, mucro 0.6-2.7 mm, ratio of mucro/sepal length = 0.15-0.38, outside with 0.2-0.9 mm erect to patent nonglandular trichomes and 0.2-0.8 mm patent glandular trichomes, inside glabrous. Petals white or pale lilac, 0.8-1.3 cm, erect to patent, outside glabrous, inside basally with trichomes, margin basally ciliate, apex retuse with a 0.4-1.1 notch. Staminal filaments white, lanceolate, abaxially pilose and proximal half ciliate, trichomes 0.2-0.4 mm; anthers bluish, 1.1-1.7 mm. Nectaries 5, hemispheric, glabrous. Stigma pale pink. Fruit 1.8-2 cm, erect when immature; mericarps smooth, with a basal callus, with 0.1-0.4 mm ± patent nonglandular trichomes and sometimes apically with 0.3-0.4 mm glandular trichomes; rostrum 1.4-1.6 cm, with a 1.9-2.5 mm narrowed apex; stigmatic remains 1.1-1.5 mm. Seeds 2.3-2.5 mm. Fl. Jun-Jul, fr. Jul-Aug. 2n = 26, 28.

Meadows in forests, meadows in valleys; 800-1800 m. N Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia (Siberia); E Europe].

Geranium albiflorum is easy to distinguish from G. pseudosibiricum by its emarginate and usually white petals and by its leaves not so deeply divided as the latter. Specimens of G. albiflorum usually have glandular trichomes on the inflorescence. Gynodioecious specimens have shorter petals (2-3 mm) and anthers not well developed.