Pelargonium fasciculaceum E.M.Marais

A deciduous geophyte with a subterranean tuber, leaves erect, 300-500 mm high when in flower. Tuber, elongated, branched roots, sometimes with several stem-growing points, covered with dark brown periderms, 70-110 mm long and 15-25 mm in diameter. Leaves: radical, petiolate, green; lamina ovate, 140-270 x 60-120 mm, irregularly bipinnate, densely hirsute with distally appressed hairs and with glandular hairs interspersed; segments linear, 4-8 mm wide, apices acute, margins serrate; petiole 80-200 mm long, rigid, hirsute with coarse hairs and interspersed with glandular hairs; stipules subulate, 15-25 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 70-170 mm long and 2-5 mm in diameter, light green, densely pilose with curly hairs interspersed with long glandular hairs, branched, bearing 4-8 pseudo-umbellets; peduncles 90-240 mm long and 1.5-3 mm in diameter, indumentum as on scape; bracts irregular in form and size, densely hirsute; pseudo-umbellet 15-26(-40)-flowered, subtended by a whorl of narrowly triangular bracts; bracts 4-5 mm long, acuminate, 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 40-60 mm long, (6-8 times the length of the calyx), light green, indumentum as on scape. Sepals 5, 7-9 x 1.5-3 mm, posterior one erect, others recurved, posterior one triangular, remaining four lanceolate, apices acuminate, light green, indumentum abaxially as on scape, only less dense. Petals 5, oblanceolate, bases cuneate, apices rounded to emarginate, pale yellow or cream-coloured, claws orientated close together forming a sheath-like structure; posterior two 16-19 x 3-4 mm, with V-shaped red markings, apices laterally recurved during anthesis; anterior three 13-16 x 2-3 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 mm long, lateral two 4 mm long, recurved so that anthers are borne on the same level as posterior one, anterior two 9-11 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, 3 mm long, densely sericeous, green; style filiform, 2 mm long, dark red; 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 ±23 mm long.