Sp. Pl. 3 (1800) 356.
Section Ciconium

Habit
Semi-geophyte, with an underground rhizome of alternating thick and thin portions and a short densely hirsute aerial stem.


Leaves
Simple, 5-palmatilobate, margin lobed or toothed, 20-50 mm in diameter, sometimes more, usually zoned, densely hirsute. Petiole up to 20 cm long, sometimes even longer, hirsute. Stipules triangular, 4-15 x 3 mm, membraneous, persistent.


Inflorescence
Branched inflorescence, with reduced leaves, pseudumbels of 2-5 flowers. Peduncle <35 cm, hirsute, pedicel ~1mm.


Sepals
5, lanceolate, approx.16 mm. Hypanthium <70 mm.

Petals
White to creamy, obovate to narrowly obovate, posterior cca. 9-18 x 30 mm, usually with red markings, anterior narrowly spathulate 25 x 4-6 mm.

Stamens
7 fertile, 2 longer, 2 intermediate, 3 short.

Distribution


Habitat

The Kamiesberge range E of Kamieskroon, N Cape Province, home to the specimen in the above photograph. P. articulatum are usually shy plants, hiding between rocks and beneath bushes. However, come flowering time, these are one of the showiest pelargoniums!


P. articulatum in Oorlogskloof, keeping company to P. sp. nov. MST 424, P. reflexum, and many, many other interesting plants of the Bokkeveld escarpment, occupying its typical niche, with the rhizome in the cold beneath a rock.
 
Notes
Formerly section Ligularia, but suggested close relationship to sections Ciconium and Eumorpha by Albers F. et al. (1992), and suggested transfer to Ciconium by de Marie E. (1990).