3.1. Key to species of the Pelargonium hirtum species group: subshrubs with bi- or tripinnatisect leaves, seven fertile stamens, and short hypanthia less than 15 mm long (adapted from Albers et al., 2000)

1a. Flowers white or rarely tinged pale pink, unmarked; petals 15–20 mm long; pedicels ± 1 mm long; plants from the Worcester area ………………………………………………………… P. conradiae

1b. Flowers pink to mauve, posterior two petals with darker markings; petals 10–15 mm long; pedicels 1–8 mm long; plants from West Coast and adjacent mountains:

2a. Leaf bases herbaceous and not persistent; stipules adnate to petioles for halfway or more, remaining papery; plants from coastal granites from Velddrif to Faure and extending inland to Citrusdal and De Wet ……………………………………………………… P. hirtum

2b. Leaf bases cartilaginous or woody and ± persistent; stipules adnate to petioles for up to halfway, becoming indurated and hook-like; plants from Olifants River Mouth and Bokkeveld Mtns to Cederberg:

3a. Leaf bases very conspicuous, woody and persistent, sharply deflexed; posterior petals wider than anterior petals …… P. crassipes

3b. Leaf bases cartilaginous and semi-persistent, spreading or weakly recurved; posterior petals ± as wide as anterior petals … P. oreophilum