Geranium cruentum Heenan & G.M.Rogers (2021:405)
Von River geranium (proposed)
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Synonym/s: Geranium aff. brevicaule “Von” (used by Mitchell et al., 2009)
I have proposed the vernacular name "Von River geranium", however if the species occurs in the Livingstone Mountains and the Von River Valley individual represents a disjunct population (Heenan & Rogers, 2021) then something like "Livingstone geranium" will be more appropriate.
Conservation Status
Possibly Extinct in the Wild (Heenan & Rogers, 2021)
Last wild record: 1-5 March 1993 (Heenan & Rogers, 2021)
Unwittingly collected from the vicinity of the Von River valley between 1-5 March 1993 by the late A. P. (Tony) Druce (1920-1999), it was represented by a single anomalous white root that was discovered and planted and subsequently grew, but return visits to the area have failed to find any more individuals and it may now be extinct in the wild, although the Livingstone Mountains in particular should be searched as the Von River valley individual may have represented a disjunct population (Heenan & Rogers, 2021)
Distribution
Von River valley, Southland, South Island, New Zealand
Biology & Ecology
Hypodigm
Media
References
Original scientific description:
Heenan, Peter B. and Rogers, Geoffrey M. (2021). Recognition of Geranium cruentum sp. nov. (Geraniaceae) resolves a taxonomic conundrum in New Zealand cranesbills. New Zealand Journal of Botany 59(3): 397-408. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.2020.1867199
Other references:
Mitchell, A. D., Heenan, P. B. and Paterson, A. M. (2009). Phylogenetic relationships of Geranium species indigenous to New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 47(1): 21-31. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288250909509789
https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/geranium-cruentum/