Pelargonium longicaule lost petals, short pedicels

While the peduncle of a Pelargonium longicaule inflorescence is long, living up to its name, the pedicels of the individual flowers in the pseudo-umbel may be short, variable on different plants and flower ages.

This inflorescence is not yet in full cry, some buds yet having to open, although the lower petals of one flower are already gone, while those of the other flower pinched in unusually close to the upper petals.

The biggest of the buds has clearer stripes upon its pale green sepals than the smaller ones, maybe a bit like the alpha male of a striped mice clan (Curtis-Scott, et al, 2020; Manning, 2007; Manning and Goldblatt, 1996; iNaturalist; https://www.worldfloraonline.org).