''Pelargonium crispum'' (the "crisped-leaf pelargonium") is a ''

Pelargonium ''Pelargonium'' () is a genus of flowering plants that includes about 280 species of perennials, succulents, and shrubs, commonly called geraniums, pelargoniums, or storksbills. '' Geranium'' is also the botanical name and common name of a separ ...

'' species native to the

Western Cape Province The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. It is in the subgenus ''Pelargonium'' along with ''

Pelargonium graveolens ''Pelargonium graveolens'' is a ''Pelargonium'' species native to the Cape Provinces and the Northern Provinces of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Etymology ''Pelargonium'' comes from the Greek πελαργός ''pelargos'' which means st ...

'' and '' Pelargonium capitatum'' and '' Pelargonium tomentosum''.

Description

''Pelargonium crispum'' is quite a large, shrubby, branching species, growing up to 70 cm tall. The leaves are usually arranged along the stems in two opposite rows ( distichous arrangement). The leaves are small (10mm diameter), green, lemon-scented, fan-shaped, and have distinctively crisped (crinkled or wavy) edges. The small (25 x 5-8mm), white-to-pink flowers appear in Spring to Summer, in small groups or alone, on short pedicels.

Eponymy

"Pelargonium" comes from the Greek (''"pelargos"'' which means "

Stork Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family called Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons an ...

", and another name for pelargoniums is "storksbills" due to the shape of their fruit). "Crispum" refers to the crisped, crinkled leaf-margins.

Cultivars and hybrids

There are many cultivars and hybrids of ''Pelargonium crispum'' as it hybridizes readily with other species in the ''Pelargonium'' subgenus. These cultivars and hybrids include: * ''Pelargonium'' × ''nervosum'' - A lime scented hybrid between ''P. crispum'' and another species (possibly ''P. principissae'' according to

Robert Sweet (botanist) Robert Sweet (1783–20 January 1835) was an English botanist, horticulturist and ornithologist. Born at Cockington near Torquay, Devonshire, England in 1783, Sweet worked as a gardener from the age of sixteen, and became foreman or partner in a ...

). ''P.'' × ''nervosum'' is slightly hairy and has deep pink flowers. A variety of ''P.'' × ''nervosum'' is ''P.'' × ''torrento'' or 'Cola Bottles'. This variety has a slight ginger or cola smell as well as citrus. * ''Pelargonium'' × ''melissinum'' - The lemon balm pelargonium (lemon balm -

Melissa officinalis Lemon balm (''Melissa officinalis'') is a perennial herbaceous plant in the mint family and native to south-central Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, Iran, and Central Asia, but now naturalised elsewhere. It grows to a maximum height of . The l ...

). This is a hybrid between ''P. crispum'' and ''

''. * ''Pelargonium'' × ''citriodorum'' (synonym - 'Prince of Orange') - An orange scented pelargonium. A hybrid between ''P. crispum'' and ''P.'' × ''limoneum'' with small pale pink flowers. * ''Pelargonium crispum'' 'Cy's Sunburst' - A small, compact variety owith small variegated yellow leaves and pink flowers. It has a very strong lemon scent. P. Cy's Sunburst was bred the American plantsman; Cyrus Hyde and appears on his nursery website catalogue. * ''Pelargonium crispum'' 'variegatum' (synonym - 'Prince Rupert') - A variety with variegated silvery leaves. * ''Pelargonium crispum'' 'Peaches and Cream' - A variety with distinctly peach scented leaves. * ''Pelargonium'' 'Poquita' - Grapefruit scented variety of the ''P.'' × ''nervosum'' hybrid. * ''Pelargonium'' × ''limoneum'' - A hybrid with uncertain parentage but ''crispum'' is almost certainly one parent plant. It has small toothed leaves and quite large magenta flowers. It has a lemon/lime/rose/strawberry/cinnamon scent; different people detect different smells but it certainly has a citrus smell. * ''Pelargonium'' 'Lady Scarborough' - A very popular cultivar that smells of ripe strawberries. It has leaves very similar ''P.'' × ''limoneum'' with pale pink flowers and red veining in the leaves occurs as the leaves age. Presumed to be in the ''crispum'' group but this is not certain. Arthur Tucker says it is similar to ''P. englerianum''. Note: Most Angel Pelargoniums are crosses between a regal pelargonium and ''Pelargonium crispum''.

Distribution and habitat

This species occurs in the

, between Worcester in the north, and

Bredasdorp Bredasdorp is a town in the Southern Overberg region of the Western Cape, South Africa, and the main economic and service hub of that region. It lies on the northern edge of the Agulhas Plain, about south-east of Cape Town and north of Cape Agul ...

in the south, as well as eastwards into the

Little Karoo The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe !Orakobab or Khoemana word ''ǃ’Aukarob'' "Hardveld") is a semi-desert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its ext ...

region. It occurs in rocky, sandy soil on lower slopes, in arid proteoid

fynbos Fynbos (; meaning fine plants) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean clim ...

as well as

renosterveld Renosterveld is a term used for one of the major plant communities and vegetation types of the Cape Floristic Region (Cape Floral Kingdom) which is located in southwestern and southeastern South Africa, in southernmost Africa. It is an ecoregion ...

vegetation.

Uses

As well as being a houseplant or outdoor perennial depending on climate, ''Pelargonium crispum'' has a couple of other uses. Firstly, the leaves are edible and are used in salads or for flavouring cakes and stir-fries. Secondly, the leaves are very aromatic and can be used in something like

potpourri Potpourri ( ) is a mixture of dried, naturally fragrant plant materials used to provide a gentle natural scent, commonly in residential settings. It is often placed in a decorative bowl. The word "potpourri" comes into English from the French ...

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q18083707 crispum Renosterveld