The Blue Meadow Crane's-bill is one of our handsomest wildflowers. It is
to be found by the edge of the fields and in the meadows all over
Britain in summer and autumn.
This plant is related to the beautiful geranium which grows in our
gardens. The flowers have five large petals. In front these petals are
bright blue and are painted with tiny pink streaks. Behind, they are a
delicate pale pink.
In the centre of the flower there is a ring of stamens, and within this
ring is the seed-vessel.
There is a circle of green sepals behind the pinky-blue petals.
After the blue petals are withered you can see a long spike with a small
star at the end coming out from among the sepals.
This spike has five seeds clustered round the bottom, and whenever these
seeds are ripe, the spike splits into five fine hairs. Each of these
hairs curls up to the top, carrying a seed with it. Then the five seeds
are blown by the wind away from the slender hairs.
The leaves of the Blue Meadow Crane's-bill are beautifully shaped. They
are like a hand with five thin fingers, and each of these fingers is
deeply cut up all round the edges.
The stem of the plant is covered with rough, hairy bristles.