Flora of New Zealand Series

zonal pelargonium

Aromatic subshrub to c. 1 m tall, densely clothed in short, soft hairs. Stems almost succulent when young; glands abundant, sessile. Stipules large and prominent, to 1.5 cm wide, broadly ovate-cordate. Petioles usually > lamina. Lamina to c. 14 cm diam. (to c. 20 cm in cultivation), less on flowering shoots, orbicular or sub orbicular with a deep narrow sinus to the cordate base, sometimes ± reniform, velvety, often with a dark ring around the middle above; margin crenate and scalloped. Peduncles often to c. 30 cm long. Fls 20-40; pedicels < 8 mm long, curving downwards and buds pendent before anthesis, densely covered in glandular hairs, often purple. Sepals 4-10 mm long, narrow- or oblong-elliptic, purple or green, usually densely covered with patent hairs, occasionally glabrate; calyx spur 0.5-3.5 cm long. Corolla somewhat irregular, usually single and scarlet; lower 3 petals 1- c. 2.5 cm long, imbricate, broad-obovate; upper 2 petals slightly smaller. Style ± red, at least in upper part; stigmas red. Mericarps fusiform, ± hispid.

N.; S.

Cultivated hybrid 1899

Coastal habitats, usually near settlements.

FL Jan-Dec.

In addition to the naturalised populations, zonal pelargoniums occur as long-persistent relics of cultivation and as long-persistent discards. Certain forms or cvs of this widely cultivated hybrid group set seed, but vegetative reproduction is probably the commonest means of spread. Occasionally there are wild plants with semi-double corollas. Most cvs have the crimson or scarlet fls of one of the parents, P. inquinans (L.) L'Hér.. The dark zone on the lf is characteristic of the other parent, P. zonale (L.) L'Hér., but not all cvs of P. × hortorum show this feature. Neither parent has been recorded wild although some specimens approach P. inquinans with its fewer and smaller fls and lvs on very short petioles (e.g., CHR 309798, N.W. Nelson, Scott's Beach, S. of the Heaphy R., Sykes >, 30.1.1976). P. × hortorum has also been known as P. zonale in N.Z.