Scientific Name
Piaranthus geminatus (Masson) N.E. Br.
Synonym(s)
Caralluma geminata, Ceropegia geminata, Stapelia geminata
Scientific Classification
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
Tribe: Ceropegieae
Subtribe: Stapeliinae
Genus: Piaranthus
Origin
Piaranthus geminatus is native to South Africa. It grows on gravelly and loamy flats under bushes in the Western and Eastern Cape provinces.
Description
Piaranthus geminatus is a dwarf succulent with leafless, pale to dark grey-green, tuberculate stems that spread over the ground, forming a dense mat. The stems are 4- or 5-angled, branched, and can grow usually between 0.8 to 2 inches (2 to 5 cm), sometimes up to 6 inches (15 cm) long, and up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick.
The star-shaped flowers appear in clusters of up to 5, opening together at branch tips in fall. They can reach up to 1.6 inches (4 cm) in diameter. The corolla is white, yellow, yellow-green, or brown, transversely marked with red to brown, rarely uniformly yellow or red-brown. The corona is yellow, sometimes spotted with red. The fruits are paired follicles that can grow up to 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) long.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 10a to 11b: from 30 °F (−1.1 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Stapeliads are relatively easy to grow. However, they should be treated as outdoor plants as they easily rot indoors and cannot flower without exposure to outdoor temperature fluctuations. In addition, they should be grown under cover so watering can be controlled. Stapeliads require a reasonable amount of sunlight to promote flowering and maintain a well-shaped plant. Very shady positions will produce very poor flowering.
These plants come from climates where they survive extremely high temperatures in the summer, so most growth is in spring and fall, with flowering in fall when the weather cools down. In the growing season, water is in moderation when needed, ensuring soil is fairly dried out between waterings. Do not water between late fall and early spring.
The easiest and best way to propagate Stapeliads is by stem cuttings taken virtually throughout the year. Using seeds is also a method of propagation.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Stapeliads.
Subspecies and Varieties
Links
- Back to genus Piaranthus
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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