Ceropegia dichotoma   (Haw.)

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syn. Ceropegia aphylla (Haw.), Ceropegia dicotoma [wrong], Ceropegia hians (Svent.), Ceropegia hians var. striata (Svent.)

distribution: Spain: El Hierro, La Palma, Tenerife / Canary Islands

This candelabrum-like shrub can grow up to 1,5 m tall and is strongly branched at the base. The start of the growth cycle falls within in the European winter, the plant starts to grow very quickly and gets numerous, very narrowly, lancet-shaped leaves of a length up to 12 cm. These are dropped in the dormant season, that falls within the European summer. The flowers are 3 to 4 cm in length, yellowish green outside and yellow inside. They arise in bunches up to ten, sometimes fifteen flowers on the stem knots. The flowers have a very slight frangrance that is only sometimes noticeably. The local names are Cardoncillo, Mataperro and Sayón. There is a special form from the Teno peninsula in the west of Tenerife which differs from the normal form in having shorter, very light greyish green limbs. It also forms looser shrubs. The form from the island of La Palma is sometimes considered as a distinct species, sometimes as a subspecies of Ceropegia dichotoma, and sometimes it is included in Ceropegia dichotoma and not accepted as an independent form. Both forms can be told from eachother by there growth characters, the stems of f. hians are mostly thinner and suppler. The flowers of this form are lighter on the outside than those of Ceropegia dichotoma and their petals are often straddled.

above and left: Ceropegia dichotoma Photos: mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Cok und Ine Grootscholten Copyright Grootscholten Succulenta nursery, Honselersdijk, The Netherlands http://www.succulenta-kwekerij.nl

ssp. krainzii

syn. Ceropegia ceratophora (Svent.), Ceropegia chrysantha (Svent.), Ceropegia krainziana [falsch], Ceropegia krainzii (Svent.)

distribution: Spain: La Gomera, Tenerife / Canary Islands

The form from the island of La Gomera resembles Ceropegia dichotoma, but can be discerned by its thicker stems and its smaller and more slender leaves, and above all by its flowers. Those appear on the stem knots and form a bunch of up to 70 (!) flowers, they are white on the outside and yellow inside.

left: Ceropegia dichotoma ssp. krainzii Photo: by courtesy of Cok and Ine Grootscholten Copyright Grootscholten Succulenta nursery, Honselersdijk, The Netherlands http://www.succulenta-kwekerij.nl

References: - Peter und Ingrid Schönfelder: Die Kosmos Kanarenflora. Franckh-Kosmos-Verlag Stuttgart, 1997 - Focke Albers; Ulrich Meve: Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Asclepiadaceae; Springer (November 4, 2002)