Redstem Stork's Bill

Redstem Stork's Bill

Erodium cicutarium

I was pretty excited to see this plant at Salamonie Reservoir in northeast Indiana.  I had never seen it before and it looks pretty cool and has a cool name.  It's all cool!

The problem is that it doesn't occur in northeast Indiana, at least not according to the Plants database or to BONAP.  I found it at a sand volleyball court in the camping area.  This was before the summer season.  My suspicion is that campers camp throughout Indiana and the U.S. and a seed found it's way to Salamonie and planted itself in the proper habitat; they prefer arid areas; so a sand volleyball court fit the bill.

The plants have been in North America so long that the Indians discovered that they are edible and have medicinal value.  The whole plant is said to be edible.

The seeds have a peculiar mechanism that I didn't find out until later.  They have an awn that sticks out from the seed and is spiral.  It expands and contracts with changes in moisture.  As the pod dries, the spiral tightens up until the pod opens, then it springs out of the pod.  Once on the ground, the changing shape of the spiral causes it to dig itself into the ground, thus getting planted.  I think a mechanical engineer must have designed this baby.

If I get a chance, I'm heading back there to collect some seeds to take pictures of them.  There is a cool picture of the seeds on Wikipedia.