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Nepal Geranium
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Nepal Geranium
P Native Photo: Thingnam Girija
Common name: Nepal Geranium, Nepalese crane's bill • Hindi: भण्डा Bhanda, फोड़ी Phori, रतनजोत Ratanjot, सिउँली Syunli • Kashmiri: रोएल Roel • Nepali: चुनित्रो घाँस Chunitro ghans • Punjabi: ਭਾਂਡ Bhand • Sanskrit: भण्डा Bhanda • Tibetan: མིག་སྨན Mig-sman Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Geranium nepalense    Family: Geraniaceae (Geranium family)
Synonyms: Geranium pallidum, Geranium patens, Geranium radicans

Nepal Geranium is a very beautiful wildflower which surprisingly does not figure in Polunin and Stainton's Flowers of the Himalaya. It is a creeping, spreading herb, which varies from being velvety to hairy. Stems are 1-3, slender, 1-2.5 ft long, sometimes rooting at the nodes. Leaves are palmately cut into 5-7 lobes, which are further cut, 1-3.5 x 1.5-6 cm. Flowers are small, white with 5 spreading petals which are flat or shallowly notched at the tip. Petals have violet lines towards the base. At the center is a pinkish red stigma, surrounded by charming violet colored anthers. Nepal Geranium is found in the Himalayas, from Afghanistan to NE India, at altitudes of 1500-2900 m. Flowering: April-September.

Identification credit: Tabish Photographed in Kufri, Himachal Pradesh & Dhanaulti, Uttarakhand.

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