Pelargonium connivens E.M.Marais

A deciduous geophyte with a subterranean tuber, leaves erect, 180 mm high when in flower. Tuber: elongated, branched roots, with a short flattened stem, covered with dark brown periderms, ±40 mm long and ±20 mm in diameter. Leaves: radical, petiolate, green; lamina elliptic to ovate, 100-130 x 40-60 mm, irregularly pinnatisect, densely hirsute with distally appressed hairs and with glandular hairs interspersed; segments linear, 6-12 mm wide, apices acute, margins serrate; petiole 45-70 mm long, rigid, hirsute with appressed coarse hairs and short glandular hairs interspersed; stipules subulate, 7-14 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, hirsute to densely hirsute at the apex, adnate to the petiole with apices free, free apices ±3 mm long. Inflorescence: scape 30-40 mm long and 2-3 mm in diameter, light green, densely pilose with curly hairs interspersed with long glandular hairs, branched, bearing 2-3 pseudo-umbellets; peduncles 35-70 mm long and 1.5-2 mm in diameter, indumentum as on scape; bracts irregular in form and size, densely hirsute; pseudo-umbellet 10-30-flowered, subtended by a whorl of subulate bracts; bracts 5-A mm long, 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 40-55 mm long (4-5 times the length of the calyx), light green, indumentum as on scape. Sepals 5, 10 x 1.5-3 mm, recurved, posterior one narrowly triangular, remaining four lanceolate, apices acuminate, light green, indumentum abaxially as on scape, only less dense. Petals 5, cream-coloured to salmon-pink, connivent, forming a sheath-like structure, bases cuneate, apices round; posterior two ligulate, slightly curved, 24-28 x 4 mm, with V-shaped pink markings, apices slightly recurved during anthesis; anterior three ligulate to spathulate, 20-24 x 2-2.5 mm, dimly marked pink at the very base, apices patent during anthesis. Stamens 10, basally connate, staminal column 1.5-2 mm long, white; perfect stamens 5, posterior one ±2.5 mm long, lateral two 4 mm long, erect, anterior two 10 mm long, free filaments white; staminodes ±2.5 mm long; anthers ±1 mm long, dark pink, opening with longitudinal slits, pollen orange. Gynoecium: ovary superior, oblong-conical, 5-lobed, 3 mm long, densely sericeous, green; style filiform, 4.5 mm long, pink; stigma with 5 branches, pink. Fruit: a schizocarp consisting of 5 mericarps, bases of mericarps ±5 mm long and tails ±23 mm long.