Foothills, montane, subalpine. Woodlands. Summer.
West Mancos Trail, June 27, 2004.

This less common cousin of the very common white Wild Geranium shown below, tends to lean and sprawl, has few flowers per plant, the flowers are gorgeous lilac to magenta, and the leaves have deep cuts and rounded lobes.  Stems are often red.  Purple Wild Geranium is often found in scattered ones and twos at dry trail-side hidden in grasses . 

Linnaeus named this genus in 1753.  The Latin word "caespitosum" is common botanical nomenclature meaning "growing in clumps".

The plant has endured at east eleven scientific name changes: the plant was first described and named in 1823 by Edwin James after he saw it (but did not collect a specimen) along the South Platte in Colorado in 1820.  James named the plant Geranium caespitosum and it was soon given the common name of "James Crane's Bill".  In 1847 Augustus Fendler collected a specimen of the plant in the Santa Fe area and in 1849 John Torrey described and named it Geranium fremontii, "Fremonts Crane's Bill".

In 1862 George Engelmann named the plant Geranium fremontii variety parryi, Parrys Crane's Bill, from a specimen collected by Charles Parry in Colorado in 1861.  Amos Heller renamed the Parry specimen, Geranium parryi.  And so on.

A re-examination of all specimens led full circle to James' original designation of G. caespitosum which commonly now is just called "Wild Geranium" or "Purple Wild Geranium".  The Fremont and Parry designations are now considered varieties of Geranium caespitosum.  (More biographical information.)

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Woodlands. Summer.
West Mancos Trail, June 27, 2004.
Lower Calico Trail, June 16, 2004.

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Woodlands, meadows. Summer, fall.
Sharkstooth Trail, July 18, 2005.

Wild Geranium is one of the most common and longest flowering plants in the Four Corners area.  It is found from low to high altitudes in meadows and Aspen and Spruce woodlands.  It can have few stems, sparse leaves, and few flowers or, when it is in the moist soils it prefers, it can be luxuriously thick, almost shrub-like, with dozens of flowers.  Flowers are usually soft white with thin, light pink/lavender streaks, but pale pink flowers are common.  The palmate leaf resembles a Delphinium’s leaf. (Click to compare.)

John Richardson was a surgeon and naturalist on several Arctic expeditions in the 19th century.  The first specimen of Geranium richardsonii was not, however, collected by Richardson but by his fellow explorer, Thomas Drummond, in the Canadian Rockies, probably in 1826 or 1827.  The plant was described and named by William Jackson Hooker in his 1831 volume of Flora Boreali-Americana.   (More biographical information.)

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Woodlands, meadows. Summer, fall.
Near the Dolores-Norwood Road, June 15, 2006.

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Woodlands, meadows. Summer, fall.
Little Taylor Creek Trail, July 28, 2005.

The long, narrow, pointed seed-pods give rise to the common names "Crane’s Bill", "Stork's Bill", and "Heron's Bill". 

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Woodlands, meadows. Summer, fall.
Sharkstooth Trail, August 30, 2004.

It is common for some Geranium leaves to turn red early in the summer; by fall, red leaves paint the forest floor.