Ceropegia stapeliiformis

Ceropegia stapeliiformis subsp. stapeliiformis

Ceropegia stapeliiformis is a plant of the genus Chandelier Flower ( Ceropegia ) from the subfamily of milkweed plants ( Asclepiadoideae ) in the family of the dogbane family ( Apocynaceae ).

Description

Ceropegia stapeliiformis is a succulent shrub with upright at first, but soon crawling and writhing the accompanying vegetation explained etter ligands stems. The rare thick to about one, up to 1.5 cm and up to about one meter long branches branch out further slight. They are beginning with a stained, darker green pattern, then run in the sun but soon stained red-brown and gray-brown with age. Since the scale-like, rounded triangular leaves are only about 3 × 4 mm in size and usually hold only a few weeks, the plants appear almost leafless.

The flowers appear singly or usually several in short, sometimes up to two inches long stalked inflorescences. The five green sepals are about four mm long, narrow and pointed. The structure formed by the five fused petals is about 7 × 2.5 cm large, white to greenish white, with purple blotches. At the lower end of an elongated Kronkessel diameter of about five to seven mm is formed, which is continuous with the curved, about two to three inches long and only about three mm thin corolla tube. Top of the tube opens like a funnel. The detached, splayed or fused together and then aufreißenden corolla lobes are schwarzpurpurnen and inside very hairy.

The spindle-shaped, to 10 cm long follicles are covered with fine warts.

Systematics and distribution

This species is native to the eastern and northern Cape Province of South Africa. It is divided into two sub-species with separate distribution areas. The Eastern Cape Province in the south of 31 ° latitude -based Ceropegia stapeliiformis ssp. stapeliiformis has free and clear splayed corolla lobes. The corolla lobes of the north of the 28th degree of latitude occurring in the northeastern Cape Province and in Swaziland Ceropegia stapeliiformis ssp. serpentina ( EABruce ) RADyer remain joined together and form a cohesive at the head tube, which, although usually ruptures later, but not splayed.