| Pelargonium sidoides | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Geraniales |
| Family: | Geraniaceae |
| Genus: | Pelargonium |
| Species: | P. sidoides |
| Binomial name | |
| Pelargonium sidoides | |
Pelargonium sidoides is a plant native to South Africa, Eswatini, and Lesotho. Its common names include African geranium and South African geranium. The current conservation status is Least concern. [1]
African geranium forms a basal rosette of cordate leaves with a velvet texture and a few short trichomes on long petioles. [2] Its flowers have five dark red to nearly black petals, two of which are sometimes fused. It is often found in flower nearly year-round. It prefers to grow in grasslands with rocky soils. It can be difficult to distinguish from Pelargonium reniforme which grows in a similar area, but tends to have more kidney-shaped leaves.
In cultivation in the UK, Pelargonium sidoides has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [3] If grown as a perennial it requires protection in winter, as it does not tolerate temperatures below 5 °C (41 °F). It needs a sunny, sheltered position.
A 2013 Cochrane review found limited to no evidence of benefit with Pelargonium sidoides root extract for the symptoms of acute bronchitis, the common cold and acute rhinosinusitis. [4] A summary of this review found that all studies were "from the same investigator (the manufacturer) and performed in the same region (Ukraine and Russia)." [4]
Root extract of Pelargonium sidoides may be sold as a dietary supplement or traditional medicine under various brand names, including Umckaloabo and Zucol, but there is limited high-quality clinical evidence it provides any benefit. [5]
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