Pelargonium tetragonum young stem

The four-angled Pelargonium tetragonum stem-tip is here deep brown-red and slightly channelled on its four sides. The fairly ephemeral leaves growing from the upper nodes also start off red in picture.

The long stem internodes, steel-grey below the red part, are smooth and bare. The upper nodes are busier for a while. This is where besides leaves also branches and flowers may sprout.

Snaking its way from the surrounding shrub for unimpeded sunlight, the stem appears regal in its stance, as if surveying the Little Karoo veld for what its metabolising cells might desire.

As the stem adds components at the tip, gravity or even the wind will catch up with it soon enough in a levelling event. There is, however, always the chance that another young branch may grow higher up from it later and for a while will act as if heaven is its direct destination (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; iNaturalist).