The Genus
Some History
The Sections
Campylia
Chorisma
Ciconium
Cortusina
Glaucophyllum
Hoarea
Isopetalum
Jenkinsonia
Ligularia
Myrrhidium
Otidia
Pelargonium
Peristera
Polyactium
Reniformia
Subsucculentia
Sectionless
Further Reading
Links & resources
PELARGONIUM NOTES
Synopsis
Plantarum 2 (1806) 227.
Section Hoarea
Habit
Acaulescent geophyte.
Leaves
Lamina 25-70 mm long, elliptic to cordate. Variable: from simple, pinnately compound, irregularly bipinnatifid, pinnae 8-25 mm long. Glabrous to hirsute with long adpressed hairs. Petiole 2.5-7 cm, hirsute with long adpressed hairs interspersed with glandular hairs. Stipules adnate to petioles with free apices.
Inflorescence
Branched, with 2-5 pseudo umbels, each with 4-14 flowers. Peduncle 2-6 cm, hirsute with curly appressed hairs and long glandular hairs, pedicel ~0.5 mm.
Sepals
5, lanceolate, posterior erect, others recurved. Hypanthium 28-65 mm.
Petals
Petals cream to pale yellow, posterior spathulate, apices obtuse to rounded with feather-like markings, 14-22 x 3.2-5.5 mm, anterior 11-18 x 2-4.5 mm.
Stamens
5 fertile, posterior 2-3 mm, lateral two 3-4 mm, anterior two 5-6 mm.
Distribution
Habitat
Not quite habitat, but excellent for a pint and heaps of history: Ye Olde English Pubbe in Matjiesfontein. The historic town is a good starting point for botanical explorations with a number of really interesting species frequently found just N of it: P. luteopetalum, P. moniliforme, P. stipulaceum, P. githagineum and many more. Most, if not all, populations resembling P. fissifolium north of Matjiesfontein and on the Roggeveld Plateau are in fact P. luteopetalum and the above distribution map, while based on Marais's Thesis, has been revised to reflect this.
P. fissifolium at Ouberg Pass, 20 km NE of Montagu, where it grows on south-facing hillsides among lichens, in contrast to the photograph at the top, taken in the Karoo National Botanic Gardens near Worcester.
Synonim
floribundum (Andr.) R. Br.
Note
For a key to pinnate-leaved, cream to pale-yellow flowering hoareas with stamens shorter than sepals see the P. luteopetalum page.
Literature
E. M. Marais, Taxonomic Studies in Pelargonium, Section Hoarea (Geraniaceae), PhD Thesis, University of Stellenbosch, 1994.
Section Hoarea
Habit
Acaulescent geophyte.
Leaves
Lamina 25-70 mm long, elliptic to cordate. Variable: from simple, pinnately compound, irregularly bipinnatifid, pinnae 8-25 mm long. Glabrous to hirsute with long adpressed hairs. Petiole 2.5-7 cm, hirsute with long adpressed hairs interspersed with glandular hairs. Stipules adnate to petioles with free apices.
Inflorescence
Branched, with 2-5 pseudo umbels, each with 4-14 flowers. Peduncle 2-6 cm, hirsute with curly appressed hairs and long glandular hairs, pedicel ~0.5 mm.
Sepals
5, lanceolate, posterior erect, others recurved. Hypanthium 28-65 mm.
Petals
Petals cream to pale yellow, posterior spathulate, apices obtuse to rounded with feather-like markings, 14-22 x 3.2-5.5 mm, anterior 11-18 x 2-4.5 mm.
Stamens
5 fertile, posterior 2-3 mm, lateral two 3-4 mm, anterior two 5-6 mm.
Distribution
Habitat
Not quite habitat, but excellent for a pint and heaps of history: Ye Olde English Pubbe in Matjiesfontein. The historic town is a good starting point for botanical explorations with a number of really interesting species frequently found just N of it: P. luteopetalum, P. moniliforme, P. stipulaceum, P. githagineum and many more. Most, if not all, populations resembling P. fissifolium north of Matjiesfontein and on the Roggeveld Plateau are in fact P. luteopetalum and the above distribution map, while based on Marais's Thesis, has been revised to reflect this.
P. fissifolium at Ouberg Pass, 20 km NE of Montagu, where it grows on south-facing hillsides among lichens, in contrast to the photograph at the top, taken in the Karoo National Botanic Gardens near Worcester.
Synonim
floribundum (Andr.) R. Br.
Note
For a key to pinnate-leaved, cream to pale-yellow flowering hoareas with stamens shorter than sepals see the P. luteopetalum page.
Literature
E. M. Marais, Taxonomic Studies in Pelargonium, Section Hoarea (Geraniaceae), PhD Thesis, University of Stellenbosch, 1994.
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