[Crane's-bills and Filarees: The Genus Erodium in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

African Filaree, Common Stork's Bill, Filaree, Redstem Stork's Bill, Red-stemmed Filaree

Erodium cicutarium

Synonyms: Erodium aethiopicum, Erodium cicutarium ssp. cicutarium, Erodium cicutarium ssp. jacquinianum, Erodium ethiopicum

Flowers of African Filaree, Common Stork's Bill, Filaree, Redstem Stork's Bill, Red-stemmed Filaree: Erodium cicutarium (Synonyms: Erodium aethiopicum, Erodium cicutarium ssp. cicutarium, Erodium cicutarium ssp. jacquinianum, Erodium ethiopicum)

The photo above shows the flowers of filaree as seen about one mile east of Celilo, OR..........March 2005.
Characteristics:

Filaree is also known as stork's bill, crane's bill, and heron's bill. It is an annual, winter annual or biennial weed introduced from Europe. The leaves are mostly basal with individual leaves pinnately compound. The petioles are usually reddish in color. The leaflets are sessile and irregularly shaped with incised margins. Individual leaflets range from 1-2.5 cm long The leaves are covered with short, stiff hairs. Stems are short and have several reduced leaves which are opposite one another.

The inflorescence consists of umbrella-shaped clusters of 2-12 pink to purplish flowers. Individual flowers measure about 1.5 cm across with 5 petals, 5 bristle-tipped sepals, 10 stamens and a single, 5-parted style which measures from 2-4 cm long. The flower stalks measure from 1-2 cm long.

Habitat:

Filaree may be found on disturbed, barren hillsides and on the drier plains.

Range:

Filaree is a native of the Old World. It is now found throughout much of Canada and the United States.

In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found between the elevations of 100'-1800' throughout the length of the Gorge.

African Filaree, Common Stork's Bill, Filaree, Redstem Stork's Bill, Red-stemmed Filaree: Erodium cicutarium (Synonyms: Erodium aethiopicum, Erodium cicutarium ssp. cicutarium, Erodium cicutarium ssp. jacquinianum, Erodium ethiopicum)

This photo shows the long, tapered fruits of redstem filaree, which give it another common name of stork's-bill (or crane's-bill).

Basal leaves of African Filaree, Common Stork's Bill, Filaree, Redstem Stork's Bill, Red-stemmed Filaree: Erodium cicutarium (Synonyms: Erodium aethiopicum, Erodium cicutarium ssp. cicutarium, Erodium cicutarium ssp. jacquinianum, Erodium ethiopicum) - African Filaree, Common Stork's Bill, Filaree, Redstem Stork's Bill, Red-stemmed Filaree: Erodium cicutarium (Synonyms: Erodium aethiopicum, Erodium cicutarium ssp. cicutarium, Erodium cicutarium ssp. jacquinianum, Erodium ethiopicum)

Leaves of redstem filaree as seen at left on Sevenmile Hill, west of Chenoweth, OR.........March 2, 2017. the photo at right shows filaree in bloom along the Lyle Cherry Orchard Trail.......March 16, 2017.

Close-up of the flower of African Filaree, Common Stork's Bill, Filaree, Redstem Stork's Bill, Red-stemmed Filaree: Erodium cicutarium (Synonyms: Erodium aethiopicum, Erodium cicutarium ssp. cicutarium, Erodium cicutarium ssp. jacquinianum, Erodium ethiopicum) - Close-up underside view of the flower of African Filaree, Common Stork's Bill, Filaree, Redstem Stork's Bill, Red-stemmed Filaree: Erodium cicutarium (Synonyms: Erodium aethiopicum, Erodium cicutarium ssp. cicutarium, Erodium cicutarium ssp. jacquinianum, Erodium ethiopicum)

Developing "stork bill" fruits of African Filaree, Common Stork's Bill, Filaree, Redstem Stork's Bill, Red-stemmed Filaree: Erodium cicutarium (Synonyms: Erodium aethiopicum, Erodium cicutarium ssp. cicutarium, Erodium cicutarium ssp. jacquinianum, Erodium ethiopicum)

Additional close-up photos of the flowers and fruits of filaree as seen at Catherine Creek, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.........May 20, 2011.

African Filaree, Common Stork's Bill, Filaree, Redstem Stork's Bill, Red-stemmed Filaree: Erodium cicutarium (Synonyms: Erodium aethiopicum, Erodium cicutarium ssp. cicutarium, Erodium cicutarium ssp. jacquinianum, Erodium ethiopicum) - African Filaree, Common Stork's Bill, Filaree, Redstem Stork's Bill, Red-stemmed Filaree: Erodium cicutarium (Synonyms: Erodium aethiopicum, Erodium cicutarium ssp. cicutarium, Erodium cicutarium ssp. jacquinianum, Erodium ethiopicum)

A close-up of the flower of filaree as seen at left at Catherine Creek, Columbia River Gorge.........May 10, 2009. The photo at right shows african filaree in bloom at Catherine Creek.......March 25, 2018.

African Filaree, Common Stork's Bill, Filaree, Redstem Stork's Bill, Red-stemmed Filaree: Erodium cicutarium (Synonyms: Erodium aethiopicum, Erodium cicutarium ssp. cicutarium, Erodium cicutarium ssp. jacquinianum, Erodium ethiopicum) - African Filaree, Common Stork's Bill, Filaree, Redstem Stork's Bill, Red-stemmed Filaree: Erodium cicutarium (Synonyms: Erodium aethiopicum, Erodium cicutarium ssp. cicutarium, Erodium cicutarium ssp. jacquinianum, Erodium ethiopicum)

A filaree beginning to bloom at left along the Military Road Trail at Columbia Hills Historical State Park......February 9, 2020. The photo at right shows filaree in bloom atop Mill Creek Ridge, Wasco County, OR.....March 17, 2020.
Paul Slichter