Pelargonium triste

Pelargonium triste, the night-scented pelargonium or in Afrikaans locally known as kaneeltjie (little cinnamon), is a tuberous perennial that occasionally reaches 50 cm. The bark of the large tuber is notably cracked and woody. These tubers were used in Namaqualand in the past for tanning leather. The plant resprouts after fire.

The night-time fragrance of the flowers reminds of cloves, probably confused with cinnamon by the name-givers? The nocturnal scent is, however, sometimes described as resembling cinnamon, but also called musky. Not all smells have distinct labels, confusion tending to follow. Night-time fragrance may confirm the idea that the pollinators in this case are long-tongued moths.

The plant is found in a broad coastal swathe from the west of the Northern Cape around Steinkopf in Namaqualand to the Western Cape as far east as Uniondale. 

The habitat is sandy or loamy flats and lower slopes. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Manning, 2007; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Bean and Johns, 2005; http://redlist.sanbi.org).