PLATE 368. 



PELARGONIUM ACONITIPHYLLTJM, B. & Z. (Fl. Cap. Vol. 1, p. 276). 

 Natural Order. G-EKANIACE^E. 



A perennial plant bearing umbels of flowers which are pale yellow, creamy 

 white or pale pink. Rootstock woody. Stem very short. Leaves polymorphous, 

 radical, lower ones broadly ovate in outline, broadly crenate, the lobes again 

 toothed or mucronate, 3 to 5-veined at base, the veins prominent beneath, shortly 

 pilose on both surfaces, ciliate, 2 to 4 inches long and wide, the upper leaves 

 pinnati-partite, or bipinnati-partite, the lobes linear or linear-lanceolate, 1 to 2 

 inches or more long, mucronate, a prominent vein in each lobe ; pilose on the veins 

 beneath, glabrous above, not ciliate ; petioles 2 to 5 inches or more long, pilose 

 with long white hairs. Stipules subulate or lanceolate, pilose, ^ to 1 inch long. 

 Inflorescence umbellate; peduncles 12 to 18 inches long, densely pilose, erect ; 

 umbels 12 to 40 flowered, bracts at base of pedicels numerous, ovate or oblong- 

 acuminate, pilose ; pedicels 1 to 2 inches long, pubescent. Calyx 5-parted, lobes 

 linear, acute, reflexed, pubescent, the uppermost one produced into a tube which 

 is decurrent on the pedicel and adnate to it. Corolla of 5 obovate, entire petals, 

 which are twice as long as sepals; glabrous. Filaments 10, unequal, monodel- 

 phous, 7 longer than the others, but unequal, fertile, the 3 short ones barren ; 

 anthers 2-celled, erect. Fruit of 5 one seeded carpels which separate at maturity 

 Dm the enlarged torus. 



Habitat: NATAL: Coast lands. Sutherland, Sanderson, Queinzius ; Inanda, 

 1900 feet alt, Wood, 1172; Mooi River, Wood ; Camperdown, 2500 feet alt, Jan. 

 Wood, 1968. 



This plant is found from the coast to the uplands of the Colony, and is well 

 worth cultivation. In the Flora Capensis the flowers are said to be " dull yellow 

 without large spot," we find that they vary in colour from pale yellow to light 

 pink, sometimes yellow with pink lines. The leaves are very variable in size and 

 shape, the broad leaved and almost entire forms are very similar to those of the 

 closely allied P. flabellifolium, which, however, differs by its very prominent vena- 

 tion, and usually larger size. The rootstocks of both of these plants have been 

 used medicinally in diarrhoea, but with what success we have no reliable informa- 

 tion. 



Fig. 1, calyx; 2, staminal tube opened ; 3, pistil; all enlarged. 



