When Pelargonium crithmifolium is leafless in the hot, dry summer, the green stems are capable of the limited photosynthesis required for staying alive during its rest season.
There is also much green to be seen on the sturdy stalks separating the lobes of the deeply divided leaves. These divided leaves become up to 12 cm long. The leaves are said to smell of nutmeg and ginger.
The plant is deciduous, discarding leaves not only in summer, but in response to drought. The specific epithet, crithmifolium, likens the leaves to those of plants in the Crithmum genus, the sea samphire and rock samphire. These barley-like perennials grow along parts of the Mediterranean coastline and up to England (Wikipedia; www.plantzafrica.com).