Family: Geraniaceae
Common name(s): Scarlet pelargonium (English); Wildemalva (Afrikaans); ibhosisi (Xhosa).
Leaves and flowers of Pelargonium inquinans.
Description: Pelargonium inquinans is a soft, woody shrub with a height of up to 2 meters. The branches of this plant are also velvety and glandular as well as soft when they are young. The branches harden when they become older.
Leaves: The evergreen leaves, which are held by long petioles, are orbicular and lack dark patterns. They have 5 - 7 crenate lobes carved in them, and both sides have a viscous pubescence that gives them a cottony look. The leaves give the fingers a brown, rusty color when touched.
Flowers, fruits, and seeds: The more typical color of flowers is fiery red, but there are also lighter pink varieties. There are salmon and even white blossoms. Compared to the lower three petals, which are more equally spaced, the upper two petals are slightly smaller and more erect. Clusters of 5 - 30 flowers create flower heads. The seeds have an oval head and a spiral tail. They are oblong in shape. Every flower head produces five seeds.
Flowering time: It flowers all year round.
Origin: It is a shrub endemic to South Africa ranging from Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, and Eastern Cape provinces.
Uses: The Pelargonium inquinans leaves and stems are crushed and used as a headache and flu remedy by Indigenous people, and they also used it as a body deodorant.
Propagation: They can easily be propagated by seeds at a depth of 2 - 3 millimetre and soft stem cuttings can be taken, and a rooting hormone applied to stimulate the rooting process. The cuttings must be rooted in a cold frame and a well-drained medium coarse river so that rooting will take place within four weeks.
References:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelargonium_inquinans. Accessed 30 January 2024.
- https://pza.sanbi.org/pelargonium-inquinans. Accessed 31 January 2024.
- Izuegbuna, O., Otunola, G. and Bradley, G., 2019. Estimation of phytochemical, vitamins composition and antioxidant activity of Pelargonium inquinans leaves. Pharmacognosy Journal, 11(2).
