Erodium stephanianum aka Stephen's Stork's Bill

Erodium stephanianum belongs to the geranium family, Geraniaceae. Its native range runs from northeastern Afghanistan to Siberia and Japan. Records also place it in Central Asia, China, Korea, and Mongolia. It occurs in northern Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir too. Kew places it in the temperate biome. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. Plants For A Future describes it as an annual. Kew allows for both annual and biennial growth.

The plant reaches about 2 feet (0.6 metres) in height. It grows on dry slopes and sandy river banks. It also appears as a weed in cultivated ground. In Nepal, it occupies open sites at high elevations. These sites lie around 8,200–13,100 feet (2,500–4,000 metres) above sea level. Its flowers have both male and female organs. Insects pollinate them. The supplied species records do not describe leaf or fruit details. They also give no flowering season.

Plants For A Future lists sandy and loamy soils as suitable. The soil should drain well rather than stay waterlogged. It gives a soil range from neutral to mildly alkaline. The plant needs sun and does not grow in shade. The same account allows for dry or moist soil. It lists cultivated beds as a growing site. British hardiness remains uncertain in that account. Its further cultivation advice rests on the genus, not species trials. No firm hardiness zone follows from that evidence.

Seed provides a means of raising new plants. Plants For A Future suggests sowing directly where plants will grow. Seed may go into the ground when ripe in late summer. Late spring offers another sowing time. The source reports that seed tends to sprout readily. Its presence among crops shows it can occur in disturbed soil. That alone does not show that it poses an invasive threat. The supplied records name no pests or diseases.

Plants For A Future lists no known food uses or hazards. This does not establish that the plant is safe to eat. It records medicinal uses for the parts above ground. These include treatments for rheumatic pain and bowel complaints. It also reports antibacterial activity and external use for gout. These records do not establish treatment safety or clinical benefit. The whole plant can yield a green dye. That dye needs no mordant to help fix its colour.