A deciduous geophyte 70-90 mm tall when in flower. Tuber: small turnip-shaped, elongated or moniliform root covered with flaking dark brown periderms, 10-45 x 10-15 mm. Leaves: radical, prostrate, trifoliolate, petiolate; lamina palmately compound with three more or less even-sized pinnae, 15 x 10 mm; pinnae obcordiform, 6-7 x 7 mm, adaxially and abaxially densely sericeous with long appressed hairs, bright red when dry; petiole rigid, spreading horizontally from the growing point and bending vertically in the middle, 15-40 mm long, 0.5-1.0 mm in diameter, distally densely sericeous and basally almost glabrous or sparsely sericeous with appressed hairs interspersed with glandular hairs; stipules narrowly triangular, ciliate, 5-6 x 1.5 mm, adnate to petioles, apices free. Inflorescence: scape 20-30 mm long, reddish green, almost glabrous, sparsely covered with short glandular hairs, branched, bearing 2-3 pseudo-umbellets with 3-7 flowers each; peduncles 20-45 mm long, 1 mm in diameter, densely hirsute with distally appressed hairs and curly hairs interspersed with short and long glandular hairs; bracts narrowly triangular, 3-5 mm long, abaxially densely hirsute. Pedicel ca. 0.5 mm long. Hypanthium 15-18 mm long, 2.0-2.5 times the length of the sepals, reddish green, densely hirsute with distally appressed hairs interspersed with short and long glandular hairs. Sepals 5, patent during anthesis, linear-lanceolate, 7-8 x 1.52.2 mm, reddish green in centre with green membrane-like margins, abaxially densely hirsute with appressed hairs interspersed with short and long glandular hairs. Petals 5, white with undulate margins, claws forming a sheath with the apices recurved during anthesis; posterior two petals with conspicuous wine-red blotches in the centre, sometimes with only feather-like markings, obovate or widely spathulate, 21-22 x 5-6 mm, length/width ratio 3.5-4.8; emarginate, with narrow cuneate claws 9-10 mm long and with wine red feather-like markings; anterior three petals spathulate, 15 x 3 mm, bases attenuate, apices rounded. Stamens 10, basally connate with staminal column ca. 1 mm long, smooth, white; perfect stamens 5, concealed in the floral sheath, posterior filament ca.4 mm long, lateral two ca.5 mm long, anterior two 5.5-6.0 mm long, slightly shorter than the sepals, anthers 1.21.4 mm long, pale pink, pollen pale yellow to white. Gynoecium: ovary 2.0-2.5 mm long; style 1.5-1.8 mm long; stigma branches 1.0-1.5 mm long, recurved, adaxially dark red. Fruit: not seen. Chromosome number: unknown. Pelargonium montaguense flowers from September to October.
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