Description:

• Annual or perennial herbs or occasionally undershrubs; branches often jointed
• Leaves opposite or alternate, palmately lobed or dissected, with segments variously lobed to entire; petiolate; stipulate
• Flowers regular, 1- or 2-nate on axillary peduncles; peduncle rarely aborted
• Sepals 5, imbricate, usually apiculate, usually pubescent and often with glandular hairs and 3 prominent veins
• Petals 5, sessile, hypogynous, imbricate, usually obovate and notched on apical margin and with few hairs at base
• Disc of 5 glands alternating with petals
• Stamens 10, usually in 2 series, rarely 5 anthers aborted; filaments shortly connate or free
• Ovary 5-locular, 5-lobed, with 2 ovules per locule, usually with gland at base of each locule, usually villous
• Mericarps 1-seeded; awns arched, generally glabrous
• Seeds often oblong in outline, sometimes with 2 depressions; testa with lace-like markings
• x = 7 (8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 17) (high polyploidy, B-chromosomes)

Nomenclature:

• Geranium L.
  • Linnaeus: 676 (1753)
  • Harvey: 257 (1860)
  • Knuth: 43 (1912)
  • Hilliard & Burtt: 171 (1985)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species 300, temperate regions, montane tropics
• Southern Africa: Species 31, widespread