Phil Bendle Collection:Geranium maderense (Giant Herb Robert)

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Geraniales
Family: Geraniaceae
Genus: Geranium
Species: G. maderense
Binomial name: Geranium maderense
Common name: Giant Herb Robert, Madeira cranesbill, Madeira Daisy

Geranium maderense is a species of flowering plant native to the humid forests of the island of Madeira. It is the largest of the geranium family. Geranium maderense is a robust, mound-forming but short-lived evergreen perennial or biennial. It can grow to 1.5 m tall and wide. It seeds profusely and will become weedy.
It has palmately lobed or deeply, divided, glossy, light green, fern-like leaves that are up to 20cm in length. The leaves are in a rosette attached to burgundy stems that arise from the soil. 
As the plant develops the lowermost leaves often sag and act as a support prop for the plant.
During summer in its second-year Geranium maderense the centre of the plant sends up scores of hairy, red flower stems topped with large panicles. The pink 5 petaled flowers are 4cm across and have a dark, pink-magenta centre. 
After the seeds ripen and are shed, the plant dies.

[http://ketenewplymouth.peoplesnetworknz.info/image_files/0000/0011/3993/1-_Geranium_maderense_-003.JPG
]

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and Information: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

 

---