Pelargonium incrassatum, the t'neitjie

Wondering about the names of plants encountered in nature and garden is what many people do as they stroll past them. People have the need or compulsion to name things since the earliest times. So, nobody can master all the names anymore.  There are just too many, but still fun to try!

This pink one is quite special: Called Pelargonium incrassatum, it occurs in Namibia and Namaqualand where it is (or was) commonly known as the t’neitjie among the indigenous people. The plants mostly grow on rocky ground, flat or sloped. This is but one of the many pretty flowers that make the Namaqualand spring photogenic and memorable. 

The old, colloquial name, t'neitjie, is shared with P. echinatum, although that one is commonly called bobbejaan-t'neitjie. Stork's-bill is a common name used widely in the Pelargonium genus, matching the meaning of the Latin name. It is descriptive of the long, thin Pelargonium fruits if one is familiar with stork beaks (Manning, 2009; Le Roux, et al, 2005; Eliovson, 1990; iNaturalist).