Carpet geranium
Geranium incanum subsp. nyassense

Family: Geraniaceae

What it is like

A small creeping herb. It can lie along the ground or have branches that curve upwards. The leaves are feathery and silvery green. The leaves have 3-7 lobes. The leaves are divided near the base and have long sword shaped segments. They are hairy. The flowers are in the axils of leaves. The flowers are mauve or white with darker veins. The fruit is smooth and hairy with a beak. It is 13-27 mm long. Older leaves turn orange-red.

Where it is found

It is a Mediterranean climate plant. It grows in dry soil. It grows between 900-2,600 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, East Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Sahel, Senegal, South Africa, Southern Africa, Tanzania, West Africa, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Leaves - tea

How it is grown

Plants usually seed freely. It can be grown from cuttings.

It is fast growing.

Its other names

Local names

Bergtee

Synonyms

Geranium ukingense Knuth; Geranium nyassense Kunth;