Pelargonium pillansii T.M.Salter

Geophyte, with exposed stem poorly developed (up to 20 mm long and 5-10 mm in diameter) and sparsely branched, unarmed, up to 350 mm tall when in flower. Exposed stem smooth, initially herbaceous and somewhat succulent and green but turning woody and brown with age, glaucous. Leaves simple to 5-lobate or pinnatifid or pinnate, thinly coriaceous, more or less glabrous, a-glandular, glaucous but tinted red to varying degrees; lamina cordiform in outline, decurrent along petiole, base cordate, apex rounded, bases of pinnae attenuate, apices of lobes acute, 40-120 x 40-80 mm; petiole up to 140 mm long, basal portion persistent; stipules narrowly ovate with apices acute, ± 8 x 2.5-3.0 mm, membranous but becoming scarious, abaxially strigose but glabrescent, persistent. Inflorescence a stout unbranched peduncle, up to 300 mm tall and 2-3 mm in diameter, carrying a pseudo-umbel of (5-)10(-17) almost regular flowers. Pedicel much shorter than hypanthium: 1.0-1.5 mm long, densely strigose and with glandular hairs interspersed. Hypanthium up to 60 mm long. Sepals narrowly ovate with apices acute, abaxially strigose with sparse glandular hairs interspersed, adaxially glabrous, yellow-green and often strongly tinted pink, margins hyaline, ±10 x 1-2 mm. Petals 5, pale dirty yellow to cinnamon-coloured, spathulate with apices rounded, recurved through more than 90° with apices somewhat incurved; posterior two 13-15 x 4.0-5.5 mm, occasionally with diffuse smoke-purple markings; posterior three ±12 x 4.5 mm, markings inconspicuous or absent. Fertile stamens 6 or 7 (4 longer, 2 shorter and equalling staminodes), pollen yellow. Ovary ovoid, ±3.5 x 1.5 mm, with apically-directed hairs, pale green; style short: ±2 mm long; stigma 5-branched, red; mericarp base ±6 mm long, tail ±30 mm long. Plants flower from February to April, i.e. in late summer and autumn, usually before the commencement of the rainy season and are leafless at the time of flowering.