Pelargonium confertum E.M.Marais

A deciduous geophyte with a 'subterranean tuber, leaves erect, 140-300 mm high when in flower. Tuber: elongated, branched roots, sometimes with more than one stem-growing point, covered with dark brown periderms, 70 mm long and 15-30 mm in diameter. Leaves: radical, petiolate, green; lamina elliptic to ovate, 90-180 x 40-80(-110) mm, irregularly bipinnate, densely hirsute with distally appressed hairs and with glandular hairs interspersed; segments linear, 5-12 mm wide, apices acute, margins serrate; petiole 35-60 mm long, rigid, conspicuously curved, hirsute with appressed coarse hairs and short glandular hairs interspersed; stipules subulate, 13-20 mm long and 2 mm wide, hirsute to densely hirsute at the apex, adnate to the petiole with apices free, free apices ±5 mm long. Inflorescence: scape 40-200 mm long and 3-5 mm in diameter, light green, densely pilose with curly hairs interspersed with long glandular hairs, branched, bearing 2-8 pseudo-umbellets; peduncles 70-150 mm long and 1-2 mm in diameter, indumentum as on scape; bracts irregular in form and size, densely hirsute; pseudo-umbellet 13-24(-40)-flowered, subtended by a whorl of ovate bracts; bracts 4-5 mm long and ±1.5 mm wide, acute, abaxially hirsute with appressed hairs and interspersed with glandular hairs; flower buds, flowers and fruits erect. Pedicel ±1 mm long. Hypanthium 11-17 mm long (twice as long as the calyx), curved, light green, indumentum as on scape. Sepals 5, 6-8 x 1-2 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 sheathlike structure; posterior two, ligulate, 9-11 x 2-3 mm, with feather-like red markings, bases cuneate, apices round, laterally recurved during anthesis; anterior three spathulate, 7-9.5 x 1-2 mm, with red markings at the very base, bases attenuate, apices round, patent during anthesis. Stamens 10, basally connate, staminal column ±1 mm long, white; perfect stamens 2, 8 mm long, protruding from the flower, free filaments white; staminodes 1-2 mm long, apices pink; anthers 1.5 mm long, pink, opening with longitudinal slits, pollen orange. Gynoecium: ovary superior, oblong-conical, 5-lobed, 5.5 mm long, densely sericeous, green; style filiform, 2-4 mm long, pink; stigma with 5 branches, branches 1 mm long, dark red. Fruit: a schizocarp consisting of 5 mericarps, bases of mericarps ±5 mm long and tails ±22 mm long.