Geraniaceae Archives - enjoysucculents

Pelargonium peltatum (rankmalva, kolsuring, ivy-leaved Pelargonium)

This species was introduced in the Netherlands as far back as 1700 and is the ancestor of the peltate-leaved cultivars. It is quite variable in the size, texture and colouring of the leaves and makes an excellent garden plant which grows easily from cuttings. In nature it is widespread from Wellington and Worcester to Kwazulu-Natal.

It is a climbing plant with soft slender stems up to 4 m long, which trail into and through other bushes.
The leaves are 2-7 cm in diameter with peltate (shield-like) blades, which are round to 5- to 7-angled or -lobed; usually glabrous (with a smooth surface) and sometimes decorated with zonal markings.
Flowers are 4-5 cm in diameter and arranged with 2-9 per inflorescence. They have 5 purple to light pink or even whitish petals; the upper two have darker markings and are much wider than the lower three.
Flowering time is spring and summer (mainly Sept. – Jan.)

Pelargonium abrotanifolium (Klipmalva)

Both the appearance of the plant and the scent of the leaves remind one of southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum), hence the species name.
The species occurs widespread from Namaqualand to the Eastern Cape and the Free State, often on rocky outcrops.
Although the plants are usually smaller, they may reach a height of about a meter.
The branches are slender and woody, with softly hairy leaves that are pleasantly aromatic when crushed.
The flowering stems bear 1-5 flowers about 2 cm in diameter with white, pink or mauve petals decorated with red or purple veins. Flowers may appear almost throughout the year (especially after rain).

Pelargonium rapaceum (Bergaartappel, Bergpatat, Norretjie)

Occurring from the northern Richtersveld to the Eastern Cape Province, this is one of the most common of the tuberous Pelargoniums and also the one with the widest distribution. It is found in a wide range of habitats, from stony slopes and flats to farmland that has been left fallow; it can even quickly colonize disturbed areas.

The tubers are often partly exposed and usually turnip-shaped (= rapaceum); usually there is only a single tuber, but sometimes a string of additional tubers is formed so that the plants can become quite large.
The softly hairy leaves are up to 40 cm long and 4.5 cm wide.
In October – February the plants produce branching peduncles with up to 50 flowers which are about 2.5 cm in diameter, white, cream, yellow or pink and most unusual in resembling little pea-flowers.

Pelargonium magenteum (incl. P. rhodanthum)

The softly woody branches of these shrubs bear heart shaped to roundish leaves 0.5-2 cm in diameter, velvety hairy and greyish green, with a coarsely toothed margin.
In May-October the plants put forth inflorescences, each with 2-9 flowers about 2 cm across; the petals are pink to mauve to deep magenta, with dark purple spots and stripes.
The species is widespread from Vanrhynsdorp to Montagu and Calitzdorp, usually on rocky outcrops. As the shrubs become up to 1 m tall, they make great garden plants in a suitable climate.

Pelargonium violiflorum

Of the Pelargoniums with underground tubers, this is one of the most appealing.
The plants have large leaves (to 12 x 10 cm), changing from simple (undivided) in young plants to divided in various ways later on.
In September – November they produce more or less flat-topped inflorescences; these consist of 3-6 parts, each with up to 14 white flowers about 1 cm in diameter.

The plants occur in dry scrub and open places from Worcester to Stormsvlei and Bonnievale. Partly because much of the area has been cleared for growing grapes, they are localised and rather rare.

Monsonia (Sarcocaulon) multifida

One cannot help but wonder how these little beauties survive the cruel conditions in their homeland, a small area on both sides of the Orange river, some 10-60 km from the sea, where they grow on rocky ridges and in stabilised sandy places amid large sand dunes.
From November to May the plants are dormant and leafless and in this period they are often sand blasted by very strong winds and sometimes buried in sand drifts for weeks or even months.
Winter is the growing period, with most activity going one from June to September.

The plants have a deep, swollen root system and are up to 4 cm tall with one or a few horizontal branches; these are whitish to blackish-brown and 1-2 cm thick. The branches are spineless or have blunt remains of leaf stalks up to 0.6 cm long. Flowering may occur in most months (except Jan.- Febr. and May-June). The flowers are 2.5-3 cm across and white, pale pink or magenta with a dark red throat; rarely they are completely white.

Pelargonium carnosum (part 2 of 2)

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Pelargonium carnosum (part 1 of 2)

As the name carnosum (fleshy) suggests, this is one of the more succulent Pelargoniums.
Old plants can be quite impressive, with a height of up to about 1 m. But with lots of old leaves and flower stalks, big plants may also look rather untidy compared to young specimens with their nice smooth stems.
The stems are sparsely branched, with very variable, deeply incised and often somewhat fleshy leaves up to 20 cm long.
In Sept.-April the flowers appear in up to 50 compact clusters; they are 1-1.5 cm in diameter, white, pinkish or greenish yellow, with reddish markings on the upper petals.
The plants are found on dry flats and rocky slopes from Namibia to the Little Karoo and the Eastern Cape Province.

Pelargonium echinatum (part 1 of 2)

The specific name echinatus means prickly or armed with spines or prickles and is derived from the word echinus (hedgehog).
When you look at the recurved thorny stipules on the stems, it is easy to see where the name comes from.

The plants may be up to 60 cm tall, but are usually much smaller; they have few to many branches, with leaves 2-3 cm long and 3-4 cm broad on relatively long stalks.
The flowers are about 3 cm in diameter and appear from July to November in groups of 3-8. They vary in colour from white and pink to brilliant purple, with darker blotches.
This beautiful and interesting species occurs from the Richtersveld to Clanwilliam,
usually on dry granite or sandstone slopes and protected by bushes or overhanging rocks.

Pelargonium incrassatum

In her book “Namaqualand in flower” (1972), Sima Eliovson referred to this species as follows:
“Quite the most outstanding Pelargonium in Namaqualand, this has thick clusters of brilliant cerise-purple flowers that grow beside the brightest annuals and can be spotted from afar. They generally lie scattered in little clearings among orange daisies in the fields around Springbok amd Kamieskroon, where they are plentiful.”
Charles Craib in his beautiful and interesting book “Geophytic Pelargoniums” (2001), calls the species “one of South Africa’s most spectacular flowering plants.”

The plants are tuberous geophytes occurring in a narrow strip along South Africa’s west coast, from near the northern part of the Richtersveld to the Nardouw flats in the south.
Although the summers are very hot here, in winter it may be freezing cold.
The rainfall varies between 150 and 300 mm per year, mainly in winter.

When in flower, the plants are 20 to 30 cm tall. The flowers appear from August to October, usually with 20-40 (sometimes as many as 60) together in a large cluster on a single stalk. They show a wide range of colours, from red and pinkish purple to mauve, pale lilac and even nearly white.

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