Geraniaceae. Tribe Pelargonieae.
Pelargonium, L’Her.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. i. p. 273.
Pelargonium crassicaule, L’Her. Ger. t. 36; Fl. Cap. vol. i. p. 299.
This species of Pelargonium is one of the many botanical curiosities found in the arid regions of South-West Africa, where the native plants have to contend against very adverse conditions. In the dry season the plant loses its leaves and assumes a knobby appearance due to the thick rather woody stems. The leaves appear after the rains and are more or less crowded at the ends of the branches.
The species was first discovered by Mr. Ant. Hove in 1786 in South-West Africa, and was introduced by him into Kew Gardens the same year. In 1799 a figure was published in the Botanical Magazine (t. 477) prepared from a plant which flowered with Messrs. Grimwood & Co., Kensington, London. Though this figure does not quite agree with our specimen in the markings of the petals, we have no doubt that it represents the plant here illustrated, which can only be considered as a variety.
Our plant was collected by Dr. I. B. Pole Evans, C.M.G., who states that it is common on rocky outcrops in the Nabib Desert at Luderitzbuch. It has been established and flowered at the Gardens of the Division of Botany, Pretoria. Specimens are preserved in the National Herbarium, Pretoria (Herb. No. 1452).
Description:—Stems woody and swollen, with blackish bark. Leaves crowded at the apex of the branches; petioles 4-11 cm. long, semiterete, finely pilose with reflexed hairs; lamina 2-5 cm. long, 2-4·5 cm. broad, rounded-ovate, slightly 3-lobed, rounded above, cuneate at the base and merging into the petiole, with crinkled bluntly dentate margins and prominent veins beneath, finely pilose above and below; stipules brown, 4 mm. long, acuminate from an ovate base. Peduncle 7·5 cm. long, terete, finely pilose with reflexed hairs, branching above. Involucral bracts 1·2 cm. long, lanceolate, acute, pilose. Umbel 6-flowered; pedicels about 1-2 cm. long. Flowers faintly sweet scented. Petals 1·25 cm. long, 6 mm. broad, obovate, rounded or truncate at the apex; the three lower produced into a linear claw 2 mm. long; the two upper slightly connate. Calyx-tube 2 mm. long, terete, pilose; sepals all pilose; upper sepal erect, 8 mm. long, 2·5 mm. broad, ovate-lanceolate, obtuse; lower and lateral sepals reflexed, 8 mm. long, 1·5-2 mm. broad, lanceolate, obtuse. Stamens 7, in three rows of 2, 3 and 2; filaments linear, 4·7 mm. long, connate at the base; anthers 1·75 mm. long, oblong; staminodes 3, shorter than the filaments. Ovary 1·5 mm. long, densely pilose above; styles united for 1·5 mm. and then separating into 6 stigmas 1·5 mm. long.