Scientific Name
Piaranthus decipiens (N.E.Br.) Bruyns
Synonym(s)
Ceropegia decipiens, Huerniopsis decipiens
Scientific Classification
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
Genus: Huerniopsis
Etymology
The specific epithet "decipiens" (pronounced "de-SIP-ee-enz") means "deceiving" or "misleading" and refers to the deceptive resemblance of this species to related stapeliads. Piaranthus decipiens was first described as Huerniopsis decipiens by Nicholas Edward Brown in 1878 in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. Brown established the genus Huerniopsis precisely because this plant, although resembling species of Huernia and Piaranthus, differed significantly in key floral characteristics.
Origin
Piaranthus decipiens is native to Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa. It grows in sandy and rocky soil, usually under small bushes around the northern and eastern edges of the driest parts of the Kalahari.
Description
Piaranthus decipiens, formerly known as Huerniopsis decipiens, is a succulent plant with decumbent stems that have tubercles mainly joined into four angles along the stem. It forms diffuse mats that may reach a diameter of 3.3 feet (1 m). The stems are dull green to grey, often mottled with purple. They usually have a distinctly narrow base and can grow up to 6 inches (15 cm) long and 0.8 inches (2 cm) thick. Each tubercle has a small, narrowly deltoid leaf rudiment at the tip, which dries out and persists for a while as a whitish husk.
The flowers are produced in small numbers towards the tips of the younger stems and open simultaneously or with long intervals in late summer or fall. They can reach a diameter of 1.2 inches (3 cm) and are usually brown, becoming paler in the tube, and with low, rounded papillae, each with a small apical bristle. Occasionally, the whole flower is prettily mottled with yellow on brown.
How to Grow and Care for Piaranthus decipiens
Hardiness: USDA hardiness zone 10a to 11b: from 30°F (-1.1°C) to 50°F (10°C).
Stapeliads are relatively easy to grow. However, they should be treated as outdoor plants as they will easily rot indoors and cannot flower without exposure to outdoor temperature fluctuations. They should be grown under cover so that watering can be controlled. They require a reasonable amount of sunlight to promote flowering and maintain a well-shaped plant. Very shady positions will produce very poor flowering. Stapeliads come from climates where they survive extremely high temperatures in the summer months, so most growth is in spring and autumn, with flowering in autumn when the weather starts to cool down. Water in moderation when needed during the growing season, ensuring the soil is fairly dry between waterings. Do not water between November 1 and March 1.
The easiest and best way to propagate Stapeliads is from stem cuttings, which can be taken year-round. Seed is also a method of propagation.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Stapeliads.
Links
- Back to genus Huerniopsis
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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