Scientific Name
Ceropegia cimiciodora Oberm.
Scientific Classification
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
Tribe: Ceropegieae
Genus: Ceropegia
Etymology
The specific epithet "cimiciodora (sim-ih-see-oh-DOR-uh)" means "having a smell of bed bug" and refers to the flowers of this species that smell like the bed bug.
Description
Ceropegia cimiciodora is a succulent climber with thick, mottled twining stems that can grow up to 3.3 feet (1 m) long. The leaves are rudimentary, produced on widely spaced nodes on the stems, and last for a very short time.
Although of unattractive habit, the flowers are rather striking. The corolla is mottled grey and speckled with purple maroon. The top of the flowers is an open star shape, and the petals are ciliate on the edges.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 10b to 11b: from 35 °F (+1.7 °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 watering care 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 top growth is still in reasonable condition, it may save the plant by re-rooting stems in damp gravel.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Ceropegia.
Origin
Ceropegia cimiciodora is native to South Africa, Swaziland, and Zululand.
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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