Geranium or something else?

[MonumentalLentil]

I think it is a Geranium.
It appeared a couple of years ago.

Sorry, photo fail..
It won't post, will try again

It's not that dark.

Lavatera?

Lavatera.

Mallow? Doesn’t really look like a geranium to me but it’s a bit blurred.

I agree it's a mallow. I think it's name is Malva Purple Satin.

Thank you. Now I know what it is I can get some more.
Google seemed to think it was a Geranium and the leaves made me think it was too.

They do look superficially similar, don't they? They are very distantly related in the plant family tree.

Is mallow the one with the edible fruit? Grows like a tiny wheel of cheese.

Geranium have distinctly separate petals, mallow petals are much more tightly packed and overlap in a symmetrical manner, each petal is over one neighbour and under the next. This is uncommon - most flowers with overlapping petals have one which is underneath both its neighbours.

Mallow flowers have their sexual parts forming a sort of spire in the centre, geraniums don’t.

Mallow leaves are hairless, geranium have some degree of hairiness

Most (all?) geranium leaves are more dissected than this. This leaf shape could be confused with Pelargonium (still colloquially called geranium by some) but those usually have hairier leaves.

Never trust an app!

Yes

Thank you for the information. I didn't use an app, I don't trust them. but I often find that Google images are useful

I didn't use an app, I don't trust them. but I often find that Google images are useful Apps work in the same way as google images. Useful as a first screening of images to look at, but wont take into account eg how the petals overlap, or whether they are fused at base.

That's why I am here, sometimes I find what I am looking for in Google or another plant typs place, sometimes still unresolved. Next time I will ask you first because you are much more knowledgable than them.

Next time I will ask you first because you are much more knowledgable than them. OK, I accept I'm a know-all. Probably deserved that for banging on too much about the deficiencies of apps, goodl images, the apple equivalent..