Pelargonium desertorum

Pelargonium desertorum is an inhabitant of some of South Africa’s most arid parts in the far northwest of the Richtersveld.

Its soft, cylindrical stems are succulent. The variably rounded leaves grow on notably long stalks. The flowers are sometimes borne on upper flowering branchlets, different from the regular branches in having long internodes.

The white flowers marked purple on the upper petal pair are grown in the first half of winter, typically shortly after rain. The photo was taken in August (Williamson, 2010; iNaturalist; www.namibrand.com).