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  4. Geranium socolateum

Geranium socolateum

Tengawai Cliffs, South Canterbury.<br>Photographer: Hermann Frank, Date taken: 4 January 2020, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Tengawai Cliffs, South Canterbury.<br>Photographer: Hermann Frank, Date taken: 6 December 2018, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Totara Valley, South Canterbury.<br>Photographer: Hermann Frank, Date taken: 26 February 2019, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Tengawai Cliffs, South Canterbury.<br>Photographer: Hermann Frank, Date taken: 3 March 2007, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Tengawai Cliffs, South Canterbury.<br>Photographer: Hermann Frank, Date taken: 13 February 2018, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Gordons Valley, South Canterbury.<br>Photographer: Hermann Frank, Date taken: 15 January 2008, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Tengawai Cliffs, South Canterbury.<br>Photographer: Hermann Frank, Date taken: 17 January 2019, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Castlerock, South Canterbury.<br>Photographer: Hermann Frank, Date taken: 24 April 2019, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Family

Geraniaceae

Authority

Geranium socolateum Heenan et Molloy

Flora category

Vascular – Native

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Structural class

Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites

Current conservation status

  • Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017

The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley.

2019 | Threatened – Nationally Critical

Brief description

A geranium of limestone habitats. Similar to Geranium brevicaule but differing by the more robust growth habit, longer petiole, larger leaves; these usually grey-green to light grey in colour and with a prominent brown margin up to 3.0 mm wide, and by the larger sepals and petals.

Distribution

Endemic. South Island, South Canterbury and North Otago.

Habitat

A species of open, sparsely vegetated, stable to semi-stable rocky limestone outcrops and associated colluvium, in a range of aspects, including open and sunny or sheltered and shaded. Also found growin amongst open prostrate shrubs and tussock-grasses.

Similar taxa

Geranium microphyllum sens. lat. (including plants from Subantarctic Islands, South Island and North Island) differs from G. socolateum by its longer, slender, trailing stems (up to 40 cm long), open, loose, straggly growth habit; by the lack of short and compact stems and by the leaves which are broader than long, thinner and distantly placed on trailing stems. Further the basal leaves are not persistent, the infloresences bear several flowers, and these have smaller diameters (8–10 mm across) with smaller petals (6.0–9.0 mm long). Geranium brevicaule differs from G. socolateum by its more compact growth habit, smaller leaves (usually up to 20 mm diameter), polymorphic leaf colour (green, bronze, purple) but not grey-green to light grey in colour, and by its smaller sepals (4.0–7.0 mm long) and petals (5.0–7.0 mm long).

Flowering

Not known

Flower colours

White

Fruiting

Not known

Propagation technique

Not known from cultivation.

Threats

Heenan & Molloy (2019) note that the total population of Geranium socolateum is fewer than 1000 individuals, with the species occurring in widely scattered populations comprising a few plants. The authors note severe habitat competition from naturalised plants, and the lack of suitable habitat for recruitment suggesting that populations are declining. They recommended that G. socolateum be assessed as ‘Threatened / Nationally Critical’ (Criterion “B” due to the small population with a moderate ongoing or predicted decline of 50–70%). Two subcriteria also apply: (B1) 250–1000 mature individuals and (B3) total area of occupancy ≤ 10 hectares (see Townsend et al. 2008).

Etymology

geranium: From the Greek geranos ‘crane’, the fruit of the plant resembling the head and beak of this bird, hence the common name cranesbill.

socolateum: Chocolate i.e. ‘chocolate’ colouration

Attribution

Fact sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange (6 September 2019). Description from Heenan & Molloy (2019).

References and further reading

Heenan, P.B.; Molloy, B.P.J. 2019: Five new and Nationally Threatened taxa of Brachyscome, Cardamine, Convolvulus, Geranium and Ranunculus obligate to vulnerable limestone habitats, eastern South Island, New Zealand. Phytotaxa 415(1): 32-48.

Townsend, A.J.; de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Molloy, J.; Miskelly, C.; Duffy, C. 2008: The New Zealand threat classification system manual. Department of Conservation, Wellington, 35 pp.

Citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Geranium socolateum Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/geranium-socolateum/ (Date website was queried)

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