Pelargonium betulinum

Pelargonium betulinum, commonly the dune pelargonium, the birch-leaved pelargonium or in Afrikaans the kanferblaar (camphor leaf), is a woody shrub that reaches heights around 1,5 m. The plant presents a lavish display of spring and summer flowers. 

The plant grows in the far south of the Western Cape from Yzerfontein to Knysna, where it naturally hybridizes with P. cucullatum.

The habitat is sandstone and shale fynbos, as well as dune strandveld and coastal dunes. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century, although some habitat loss has occurred from agriculture and coastal development. 

P. betulinum contains essential oils. It is known for medicinal properties in the treatment of coughs, bronchitis and some stomach disorders. This has brought about another Afrikaans name of maagpynbossie or little stomach ache bush. Research under the auspices of SANBI, the Medical Research Council of South Africa and the University of the Western Cape determined the chemical composition of the medicinal components of this Pelargonium (Privett and Lutzeyer, 2010; Manning, 2009; iNaturalist; http://www.plantzafrica.com/medmonographs/pelargbetul.pdf; http://redlist.sanbi.org).