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Sticky Purple Geranium
Geranium viscosissimum F. & M.
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Family: Geraniaceae,
Geranium
Genus: Geranium
Description
General: perennial, 40-90 cm tall, the lower part of the
stems and leaf stalks spreading- to flat-stiff-hairy, often
glandular-long-hairy above, especially among the flowers.
 Leaves: mainly basal, long-stalked, the blades 5-12
cm
broad, spreading- to flat-stiff-hairy, glandular, palmately
cut more than 3/4 their length into 5-7 obovate, sharply
toothed divisions. Stem leaves few, mostly opposite.
 Flowers: two to several in open clusters, often 2-forked,
well above the leaves. The 5 sepals 8-12 mm long, the
spine at tips about 2 mm long. The 5 petals 14-20 mm
long, rounded to slightly notched, pinkish-lavender to
purplish, seldom white, softly long-hairy at base for about
1/4 of the length. The 10 filaments joined at the base,
softly long-hairy on the edges, all anther-bearing.
Flowering time: May-July.
 Fruits: capsules, glandular-stiff-hairy, with the stylar
column 3-5 cm long, the beak including the 4-5 mm
stigmas 10-14 mm long, splitting lengthwise from the
base into 5 slender, recoiling segments.
Distribution
Drier grasslands and forests, sometimes in moist
meadows, plains-montane zone, in w. and c. parts of MT.
Also from B.C. to n. CA, e. of the Cascades, e. to Sask.,
s. to w. SD, CO, UT and NV.
 Edible and Medicinal plant, see below.
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(click on image for full size)
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(click on images for full size)
Edible Uses:
The flowers and leaves of sticky purple geranium are edible, and can be added to salads or used as a garnish,
but are reported to be astringent and unappealing.
Medicinal Uses:
The whole plant is astringent, salve and has agents that check bleeding by contracting blood vessels.
Herbalists have used geranium roots to stop bleeding and to treat sores and chapped lips. It was used
medicinally by the Blackfoot Indians among others. They used an infusion from this plant to treat diarrhea
and gastric upset and urinary irritations. A gargle was used in the treatment of sore throats. The root
of this plant is astringent and was dried and powdered and used by Native Americans to stop external bleeding.
An infusion of the leaves or the roots has been used as a wash for sore eyes.
Varieties:
var. nervosum (Rydb.) C.L. Hitchc.:
Lower leaf stalks and stems hairless, flat- to spreading stiff- or short-soft-hairy, not glandular, with the var. viscosissimum throughout most of its range, but a little more southern, reaching CO, UT, and n. CA.
var. viscosissimum F. & M.:
Lower leaf stalks and stems stiff-hairy and also glandular-short-hairy, rather uniformly glandular-long-hairy above. From B.C. southward to n. CA and n. NV, e. to Sask. and n. WY.
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