Pelargonium quarciticola (Geraniaceae), a new species from the Knersvlakte

Abstract

Pelargonium quarciticola Meve & E.M. Marais is described as a new species. It is a deciduous geophyte belonging to the section Hoarea (Sweet) DC, and is endemic to the quartz fields of the Knersvlakte in the northern part of the Western Cape, The species is characterized by small glandular, slightly sticky, almost red, pinnately compound or coralliform leaves with subsucculent pinnae, a leaf type not typical for Pelargonium section Hoarea P. quarciticola flowers in August when the leaves are still alive. Illustrations of the species, the glandular hairs, a pollen grain, and a distribution map are provided.