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  Ceropegia dichotoma CACTUS ART
NURSERY

Cultivation and Mail Sale
of Cacti and Succulents.

 


An interesting odd looking  succulent, smooth with some constrictions which make it look like a row of small long sausages, the strangely beautiful flowers tip it to the positive side.
 

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of Ceropegia dichotoma.


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Family: Asclepiadaceae (Apocynaceae)  (Milkweeds family)

Scientific name:  Ceropegia dichotoma Haworth
In: Synops. Pl. Succ. 1812

Origin Endemic to the Canary Islands archipelago. Tenerife (in the East: Anaga region, e.g. in the ridge above Faro de Anaga and on the West parts: Teno region, e.g. Barranco de los Cochinos), La Palma, La Gomera, Hierro, Lanzarote)

Habitat: Growing abundantly in nature in the Tabaibal-Cardonal zone at up to about 600 m altitude where it forms large upright open shrubs. It is found preferably on white or cream-colored older grainy soils or rock crevices with good drainage, in sun exposed spots and prolonged dry climate

Common Names include: (Spanish) Cardoncillo

Synonyms:

  • Ceropegia aphylla Link 1820 (nom. Illeg. Art. 53.1)
  • Ceropegia hians Sventenius 1960
  • Ceropegia ians var. striata Sventenius 1960
 

Description:
It is the most succulent shrubby Ceropegia related to C. fusca and probably to C. rupicola. It starts as a single, firm, ascending stick, that in time makes a whole colony of basally branched succulent stems, covered with white wax under sunny conditions.
 Adult specimens look something like grey organ pipes.
Stems: Highly succulent, smooth with some constrictions which make them look like a row of small long sausages, 30-120 cm tall (but usually no higher than 60 centimetres and practically without leaves for most of the year), mainly erect, partly prostrate or decumbent. Terete 5-20 mm in diameter, green, olive-green or light-brown to whitish-green due to a wax layer.
Leaves: Sessile, linear-elliptic, 2-120 mm long, 3-8 mm wide slightly succulent, green, vein paler, mergins revolute. Leaves appear in the winter at each node and on the tip of the stem and are approx  5 cm long arranged in opposite pairs, they are deciduous and wilt quickly if there isn't enough water.
Inflorescence: The inflorescence is a terminal (sometimes in axillary) and almost sessile pseudo-umbels on upper stem section, bearing 1-15 florets (But usually 2 to 6).
Flowers: Lantern-shaped,  yellow. Corolla 3-4 cm long, corolla tube 10-16 mm long, Corolla lobes, 5, yellow, narrowly triangular, fused to form a conical to ovoid cage, they are characteristically rolled outward, so that the windows are open wide. Pedicel 2-6 mm long, Sepals triangular 1-2 mm long acute.
Blooming season: Autumn and winter.
Fruit: The fruit is a pair of large horn-shaped capsules up to 12 cm long.
 

Cultivation: Full to part sun, moderate water in warm season, drier in winter. It requires hot conditions and how much sun as possible to grow well. Can be grown outdoor in mild climate where it proves to grow well semi-neglected. It is also very resistant and is very rare to see an aphid or a sick part, be only aware of mealy bugs.

 

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Home | E-mail | Plant files | Mail Sale Catalogue | Links | Information | Search

All the information and photos in cactus art files are now available also in the new the Encyclopaedia of Succulents. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.