A deciduous geophyte 100-200 mm tall when in flower. Tuber: small turnip-shaped, elongated, sometimes moniliform root covered with flaking dark brown periderms, 30-40 x 8-20 mm. Leaves radical, erecto-patent, simple, petiolate; lamina lanceolate, 25-65 x 7-25 mm, recurved, base cuneate, apex acute, margin entire; adaxially hirsute to densely hirsute with distally appressed long hairs, abaxially sometimes reddish purple, hirsute with distally appressed long hairs; petiole rigid, erect, 40-110 mm long, 0.5-1.5 mm in diameter, covered with distally appressed hairs; stipules subulate, ciliate, 5-10 x 1-2 mm, adnate to petioles for half of its length. Inflorescence: scape 40-90 mm long, 1.0-1.5 mm in diameter, hirsute with long appressed hairs interspersed with long glandular hairs, branched, bearing 2 pseudo-umbellets with 2-4 flowers each; peduncles 25-65 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, hirsute with long appressed hairs interspersed with long glandular hairs; bracts narrowly triangular, 2-5 x 1-2 mm, reddish-brown, abaxially hirsute with appressed hairs; flower buds, flowers and fruits erect. Pedicel ca. 0.5 mm long. Hypanthium 8-10 mm long, more or less the same length as the sepals, slightly curved, reddish-brown, hirsute with long appressed hairs interspersed with long glandular hairs. Sepals 5, patent during anthesis, lanceolate, acute, 8-11 x 1-3 mm, green, abaxially hirsute with long appressed hairs interspersed with long glandular hairs. Petals 5, white with undulate margins, claws forming a sheath with apices recurved during anthesis; posterior two petals with a prominent black blotch in the centre and wine-red feather-like along the claws, widely spathulate, 17-24 x 6-8 mm, length/width ratio 3.0-3.2, laterally recurved, bases cuneate, apices rounded or emarginate,; anterior three petals spathulate, 18-23 x 4.0-5.5 mm, bases attenuate, apices rounded. Stamens 10, basally connate with staminal column 1.0-1.5 mm long, white, smooth; perfect stamens 5, concealed in floral sheath, posterior filament 3-4 mm long, lateral two 4.0-5.5 mm long, curved upwards, anterior two 6-7 mm long, curved upwards, slightly shorter than the sepals, white; staminodes ca. 3 mm long; anthers pale pink, 1.0-1.5 mm long, pollen yellow. Gynoecium: ovary 2.5-4.0 mm long; style 1-2 mm long, straw colour; stigma branches 0.5-2.0 mm long, recurved, pink. Fruit: not seen. Pelargonium naviculifolium flowers in October and November, after the leaves have died. Flowers in October and November.
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