Pelargonium radens

Pelargonium radens is commonly known as the rasp-leaved pelargonium or the rondekantblaarmalva (round lace-leaved pelargonium) in Afrikaans. It has hairy leaves, elaborately lobed into a thin net-like structure and channelled along the axes. The roughly triangular leaf frames measure about 6 cm across. When crushed, the leaves exude a pungent scent, which is sometimes rose-like.

There is a widely marketed cultivar, the skeleton rose scented Geranium also known as P. radens “Dr Livingston” with several quaint aspects to its elaborate names, such as spelling and the idea of a rose skeleton.

This plant was photographed in October in the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; www.mountainvalleygrowers.com).