General: Redstem Stork's Bill (Erodium cicutarium) is a branching, very green annual forb with dissected, feathery leaves. The purple flowers have five distinct petals. The seeds have a large head and a long beak, resembling a stork's head and bill. As the plant dries out, it turns reddish.

Redstem Stork's Bill is a common weed infecting most desert vegetation communities from the desert into the mountains. Around Las Vegas, look for this species everywhere, especially along roadsides and places with water.

Redstem Stork's Bill sprouts early in the spring, earlier than native plants. As such, this species is capable of sucking considerable amounts of water out of the soil before the native species germinate. This results in fewer native plants surviving long enough to set seeds for the future.

Family: Geranium (Geraniaceae).

Other Names: Heron's Bill, Storksbill, Filaree.

Plant Form: Spreading, many branched.

Height: Usually about 6 inches, but to about 18 inches.

Stems: Spreading along the ground to upright, often low. Glandular.

Leaves: Compound, deeply dissected; entire leaf oval, to about 5 inches long; sparsely hairy.

Flowers: Inflorescence: umbel. Flowers purple; 5 petals, radial.

Seeds: Seed with a long beak that can twist and turn the seed into the soil.

Habitat: Many habitats.

Elevation: To about 6,000 ft.

Distribution: Occurs throughout the US; it is native to Eurasia.

Comments: This is a weed -- feel free to pull it up when found.