Origin and Habitat: Northern Cape, Western Cape
Altitude range: It is very common on the coastal sandy flats, but also occurs in more mountainous terrain at altitudes of up to 1800 metres.
Habitat and ecology: Frequent in clayey and sandy ground in the winter rainfall region. This species flowers throughout the year, but there is a marked peak from September to December.

• Pelargonium triste (L.) L'Hér.
• Geraniospermum triste (L.) Kuntze
• Geranium triste L.
• Polyactium triste (L.) Eckl. & Zeyh.

• Pelargonium triste (L.) L'Hér.
• Geraniospermum triste (L.) Kuntze
• Geranium triste L.
• Polyactium triste (L.) Eckl. & Zeyh.
• Geranium pastinacifolium Mill.
• Geranium pinnatifidum Burm.f.
• Pelargonium carotaefolium Hoffmanns.
• Pelargonium coniophyllum (Eckl. & Zeyh.) Steud.
• Polyactium coniophyllum Eckl. & Zeyh.
• Pelargonium crotaefolium Hoffmanns.
• Pelargonium daucifolium (Murray) Salisb.
• Geranium daucifolium Murray
• Pelargonium triste var. daucifolium (Murray) Harv.
• Polyactium daucifolium (Murray) Eckl. & Zeyh.
• Pelargonium daucoides Jacq.
• Pelargonium flavum var. daucoides (Jacq.) DC.
• Pelargonium filipendulifolium (Sims) Sweet
• Pelargonium triste var. filipendulifolium Sims
• Polyactium filipendulifolium (Sims) Eckl. & Zeyh.
• Pelargonium flavum (Burm.f.) L'Hér.
• Geraniospermum flavum (Burm.f.) Kuntze
• Geranium flavum Burm.f.
• Polyactium flavum (Burm.f.) Eckl. & Zeyh.
• Pelargonium millefoliatum Sweet
• Pelargonium modestum Hoffmanns.
• Pelargonium modestum Hoffmanns.
• Pelargonium papaverifolium (Eckl. & Zeyh.) Steud.
• Polyactium papaverifolium Eckl. & Zeyh.
• Pelargonium quinquevulnerum (Andrews) Pers.
• Geraniospermum quinquevulnerum (Andrews) Kuntze
• Geranium quinquevulnerum Andrews
• Pelargonium triste var. laxatum Harv.
• Pelargonium tuberosum Steud.
• Polyactium multiradiatum Eckl. & Zeyh.

Description: Pelargonium triste is a very singular geophyte succulent species, remarkable for the thick fleshy root stock (caudex), deciduous, unarmed, usually about 25 cm but, occasionally up to 500 mm tall when in flower. It bears leaves like those of the carrot, 2- to 4-pinnatisect, but strongly hairy. The flowers are cream coloured with dull pink stripes and are sweet-scented at night, and nearly scentless during the day. Pelargonium tristeSN|35421]]SN|35421]] was one of the first species of Pelargonium introduced to England in 1632.
Stem : Rootstock (caudex) large conical-elongate, up to 20 cm in diameter, mostly subterranean, tuberous, succulent. Above ground part short or scarcely any with a deeply fissured grey-brown corky bark, rough due to stipular and petioiar scars, initially green but turning brown with age, up to 15 cm long and 5-10 mm thick. Central core maroon red in transverse section when fresh, outer part cream-yellow. Sometimes much longer, unbranched or branched, ascending or knee-bent.
Roots. Tuberous.
Leaves. Borne on long petioles in a basal summer-deciduous rosette, lamina erect to prostrate oblong-ovate in outline, (10-)20-30(-45) cm long, 4-15 cm wide, very much lobed and cut in an unequally 2-3-4-pinnate order, the segments usually about 1 mm broad or sometimes broader, decurrent, toothed and laciniate, and often petiolulate, the teeth gland-tipped, margins entire and involute, grey-green, herbaceous, without red spot, usually covered in a dense to sparsely short hoary hairs. Petiole up to 120 mm long, deciduous. Stipules sub-rotund to cordate, mucronate, scarious.
Inflorescece. A pseudo umbel of 6-20 blooms borne on a stout hirsute unbranched peduncle 50-250 mm long, with lanceolate bracts. Pedicel up to 4 mm long with glandular hairs.
Flowers: Flowers cream-coloured, yellow-green to dull brownish yellow, with pinkish streaks, and yellowish-green to brownish-purple centre, (always) with a pale yellowish border, very sweetly aromatic at night. Calyx tube striate, setulose, much longer than the pedicel, segments lanceolate, yellow-green to dull green occasionally red-tinted, spreading or reflexed, 5-7 mm long, 1-3 mm wide (half as long as the narrow-obovate, thickish, dull-coloured petals). Petals 5, almost equal, 10-18 mm long, at least 2 times as long as wide, uniformly pale yellow, yellow-green or dull brownish yellow or with pinkish, wine-red or purplish black markings, (always) with a pale yellowish border. Fertile stamens 7.
Similar species: P. triste is similar to Pelargonium anethifolium.
Chromosome number: 2n = 44, 62, 66.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) W. H. Harvey, “Flora Capensis”, Vol 1, 1894
2) Foden, W. & Potter, L. 2005. Pelargonium triste (L.) L'Hér. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2017.1. Accessed on 2018/11/01
3) Urs Eggli “Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Dicotyledons” Springer, 2002
4) “Pelargonium Triste Rhizoma” web: http://pza.sanbi.org/sites/default/files/info_library/pelargtrist.pdf
5) G.L. Maggs, P. Vorster, J.JA van der Walt and M. Gibby, “Taxonomy of the genus Pelargonium (Geraniaceae): the section Polyactium 3. The subsection Polyactium”, S. Afr. J. Bot. 65(3): 115-143, 1999.