Pelargonium aciculatum E.M.Marais

A deciduous geophyte with a subterranean tuber, leaves erect, 100-300 mm high when in flower. Tuber: elongated, branched roots, sometimes with more than one stem-growing point, covered with dark brown periderms, 80-100 mm long and ±20 mm in diameter. Leaves: radical, petiolate, green; lamina elliptic, 100-140 x 35-60(-80) mm, irregularly deeply pinnatilobed to pinnatisect, densely hirsute with distally appressed hairs and glandular hairs interspersed; segments linear, 6-12 mm wide, apices acute, margins serrate; petiole 50-130 mm long, rigid, hirsute with coarse hairs and glandular hairs interspersed; stipules subulate, 18-25 mm long and 2 mm wide, ciliate, adnate to the petiole with apices free; free apices ±8 mm long. Inflorescence: scape 60-130 mm long and 2-3.5 mm in diameter, light green, densely pilose with curly hairs interspersed with long glandular hairs, branched, bearing 2-4 pseudo-umbellets; peduncles 50-130 mm long and 1-1.5 mm in diameter, indumentum as on scape; bracts irregular in form and size, densely hirsute with appressed hairs; pseudo-umbellet 13-32(-40)-flowered, subtended by a whorl of spathulate bracts; bracts 3-5 mm long, acuminate, adaxially hirsute with appressed hairs, abaxially hirsute with appressed hairs and interspersed with glandular hairs, initially erect, recurved during senescence; flower buds, flowers and fruits erect. Pedicel ±1 mm long. Hypanthium 12-16 mm long (about twice as long as the calyx), light green, indumentum as on scape. Sepals 5, 7-9 x 1.5-3 mm, posterior one erect, others recurved, lanceolate, apices acuminate, light green, indumentum abaxially as on scape, only less dense. Petals 5, pale yellow or cream-coloured, claws orientated close together forming a sheath-like structure; posterior two ligulate, 11-13.5 x 2-3.5 mm, curved laterally, with feather-like red markings, bases cuneate, apices rounded to emarginate, laterally recurved during anthesis; anterior three spathulate, 9-10 x 2-2.5 mm, dimly marked pink at the very base, bases narrowly cuneate, apices rounded to emarginate, patent during anthesis. Stamens 10, basally connate, staminal column 1-2 mm long, white; perfect stamens 5, posterior one ±1 mm long, lateral two 2 mm long, recurved so that anthers are home on the same level as posterior one, anterior two 6.5-8 mm long, protruding from the flower, free filaments dark pink; staminodes ±2.5 mm long; anthers 1 mm long, dark pink, opening with longitudinal slits, pollen orange. Gynoecium: ovary superior, oblong-conical, 5-lobed, 4.5 mm long, densely sericeous, green; style filiform, 3-4 mm long, dark pink; stigma with 5 branches, branches 1 mm long, dark pink. Fruit: a schizocarp consisting of 5 mericarps, bases of mericarps ±4 mm long and tails ±23 mm long.