Ceropegia linearis   (E. Mey.)

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syn. Ceropegia caffrorum (Schltr.), Ceropegia caffrorum var. dubia (N. E. Br.)

distribution: Kenya Mozambique South Africa Tanzania Zimbabwe

The nominate form is a creeping but also climbing, sometimes twining plant, so it is a plant for every relish. In cultivation it is mostly grown as a hanging basket plant, but it can also be cultivatet as a climber for an epiphyt-trunk. The leaves are somewhat thicker than those of the ssp. woodii, lancet-shaped and almost ever complete green, they reach a length of 3 to 4 cm. On flowering stems they are mostly very reduced and are often dropped. Interestingly the flowers of this form have a very burly 'frangrance', they smell a bit like a mix of cheaply perfume and sweat or similarly. This can contingently sensed as unpleasant, but that is a question of adjustment.

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

ssp. tenuis   ((N. E. Br.) P. V. Bruyns)

syn. Ceropegia tenuis (N. E. Br.)

distribution: South Africa

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

ssp. woodii   ((Schltr.) H. Huber)

syn. Ceropegia barbertonensis (N. E. Br.), Ceropegia corallicorona (Werderm.), Ceropegia debilis (N. E. Br.), Ceropegia euryacme (Schltr.), Ceropegia hastata (N. E. Br.), Ceropegia leptocarpa (Schltr.), Ceropegia linearis var. woodii [wrong], Ceropegia linearis ssp. debilis ((N. E. Br.) H. Huber), Ceropegia schoenlandii (N. E. Br.), Ceropegia woodii (Schltr.), Ceropegia woodii ssp. debilis [wrong]

distribution: Kenya: Thika District / Central Province; Kwale District, Taita-Taveta District / Coast Province; Machakos District, Meru Central District / Eastern Province; Nairobi District / Nairobi Province; Kajiado District, Laikipia District, Nakuru District / Rift Valley Province Mozambique South Africa: Eastern Cape Province; Limpopo Province; Western Cape Province Swaziland Tanzania Zimbabwe

Ceropegia linearis ssp. woodii is perhaps the best known and by far most common traded member of its genus and often the species with which people, who have a bias towards collecting, start to awake a personal passion for the genus Ceropegia. Most of the time it is sold under the synonym Ceropegia woodii. It is one of the most variable plants within the whole genus. This applies to the form of growth, which can be creeping as well as twining, as well as to the form and colouration of the leaves and the appearance of the flowers. Those forms, which in the wild show a creeping growth, form little tubers at their internodes, which by time can reach 1 to 2 cm in diameter. While the stem is growing the plants usually root at their internodes and also branch out there, so in the course of time the plant can form a compact carpet. In the wild the stems of such creeping forms are mostly not very long, often they die back seasonal or fall victim to bush fires. However in cultivation such clones are often kept in hanging baskets, whereof the stems grow out rampant and reach several metres in length, even within just one year! The leaves of the most common form are heart- reps. kidney-shaped, about 2 cm long and 2,5 cm wide and sit on an ca. 1 cm long petiole. They are dark green on the upper surface and more or less mottled with greyish green. The lower surface is purple in full light. The clones, mentioned in Archer's 'Kenya Ceropegia Scrapbook' under the figure II and the name 'Euryacme', show a twining growth throughout. One clone from Wasini Island offshore Kenya's south east coast, is remarkable for its more than 4 cm long flowers. Some kenyan clones have flowers, which show strinking similarities to those of Ceropegia rendallii, in that they also have a similar formed 'roof'. One such clone is mentioned in Archer's 'Kenya Ceropegia Scrapbook' under the figure II and the name 'Umbrella Euryacme'. The colouration of the flower tube varies, depending on which clone, from pure white to a dark, brownish pink. The colouration of the petals can be green to brown up to an almost black, very dark purple. The size of the flowers again ranges between 2 up to more than 4 cm (in the abovementioned clone from Wasini Island). All clones - known to me - share the same very strong scent, which is not easy to describe. The form, which is mostly treated as a seperate subspecies (Ceropegia linearis ssp. debilis) is included here in the ssp. woodii, it has very narrowly lancet-shaped leaves, but nevertheless falls within the natural variation of the ssp. woodii.

left: Ceropegia linearis ssp. woodii depiction from 'Curtis's Botanical Magazine' Photo: image by courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden http://www.botanicus.org

several clones: Ceropegia linearis ssp. woodii Ceropegia linearis ssp. woodii 'debilis' Ceropegia linearis ssp. woodii 'Zoutpansberg'

References: - P. G. Archer: Kenya Ceropegia Scrapbook. Notes and records of some Kenya Ceropegia. Hobart (AUS): Artemis Pup. Consultans. 1992 - Focke Albers; Ulrich Meve: Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Asclepiadaceae; Springer (November 4, 2002)