Recognition of Geranium cruentum sp. nov. (Geraniaceae) resolves a taxonomic conundrum in New Zealand cranesbills

ABSTRACT

A new species, Geranium cruentum, is described from New Zealand. Geranium cruentum is distinguished from G. brevicaule by its dark green leaves, broadly elliptic to obovate primary lobes with a deep sinus between the lobes, fewer secondary lobes, conspicuous dark reddish purple-brown blotches, and prominent leaf hair bases. Geranium cruentum is known from a single ostensibly wild collection made in 1993 from the Von River valley, Southland, and despite repeated searches has not been re-collected from the wild. It may be extinct in the wild but is cultivated in several gardens. As it persists ex situ in cultivation its conservation status is assessed as Threatened, Nationally Critical, using the New Zealand Threat Classification System.

KEYWORDS:

• Geranium brevicaule
• Geranium cruentum
• extinct
• taxonomy
• New Zealand flora

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Acknowledgements

We thank Neil Simpson, Brian Rance and Jesse Bythell for accompanying Geoff Rogers on the field trips, Helen Druce for providing information on the original discovery, David Purcell for tending the cultivated plants, and referees Matt Renner and Carlos Aedo for their comments on the draft manuscript.