Scientific Name
Ceropegia armandii Rauh
Scientific Classification
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
Tribe: Ceropegieae
Genus: Ceropegia
Description
Ceropegia armandii is a succulent plant with slender stems that arise from a small tuber and climb into shrubs and trees or spread on the ground. The stems develop fibrous roots where they touch the ground. They are grey, flecked with bronze, 4-sided with opposite conical tubercles, each tipped with an early-falling scale-like leaf.
The flowers have a short corolla tube with a narrow neck and five pale green linear lobes with a dark violet base, forming an egg-shaped cage up to 0.5 inches (1.2 cm) tall. The fruits are twin follicles that can grow up to 6 inches (15 cm) long.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 11a to 11b: from 40 °F (+4.4 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
A gritty compost is suitable, and clay pots help with drainage, especially for the species with white thickened roots, which are the most susceptible to rotting, and for species forming large tubers. Ceropegias appreciate water and a little fertilizer during warm weather, although some care with watering is required for the more difficult species. The vine-like species can suffer from prolonged drought.
Typically, many of these species grow and climb naturally among bushes, which provide shade and humidity to the base, while the vegetative growth is in the light. Where tubers occur, they are best planted on the compost surface, and the vegetative growth allows them to twine around supports or trail down from a hanging pot. The latter growth mode has the advantage of not using valuable bench space. Small tubers formed at joints in the thin stems of some species can be used for propagation. If the tuber rots or dries out, don't panic. If some of the top growth is still in reasonable condition, it may be possible to save the plant by re-rooting stems in damp gravel.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Ceropegia.
Origin
Ceropegia armandii is native to Madagascar.
Links
- Back to genus Ceropegia
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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