The ceropegia are an interesting family of plants from Africa and, to a lesser extent, Asia and Malaya. Their name is from the Greek words meaning wax and fountain.
It seems incredible that they belong to the same family as the milkweeds (Asclepiadaceae) until one sees the long, pointed seed pods and the winged seeds.
Some of them make interesting house plants because of their foliage and trailing habit; some are quite dormant in winter; all are summer bloomers.
Ceropegia Woodii
Ceropegia woodi is the best known and has several common names, including:
- ‘‘Heart vine” or “hearts-on-strings” because of the dull green, silver blotched heart-shaped leaves
- “Rosary vine” because of the bulbs set at intervals on the stems
- “Umbrella vine” because of the closed-umbrella shape of the small, purplish flowers
It is a native of Natal, where it was discovered in 1981 by Medley Wood. It is a ground cover in its native home in South Africa.
The South African species C. barklyi has the most handsome leaves, larger than those of C. woodi, thicker, sharply pointed, and with brighter silver markings. The flower, however, is similar to that of C. woodi. It bears a few bulbs.
Ceropegia Radicans
C. RADICANS, which came from South Africa in 1894, has the largest leaf, almost round, yet with a sharp little point at the apex. The leaf is bright green, quite thick, and about one inch in diameter.
The flower is much larger than the others, and it is strangely shaped and brilliantly colored.
The tube, 3” inches long, is purple-spotted, and above it are dark brown velvety eyes under broad white eyebrows.
This elfish face is crowned with a dunce cap of brilliant Kelly green trimmed with long black and white hairs.
Ceropegia Debilis
C. debilis is a native of tropical Africa, where it was found in 1895. Debilis means weak, and the tiny green leaves with silver midrib are only ½” long and 1/32” inches wide.
The bulbs are nearly as large as those of C. woodi, but the flowers are very small.
The odd species found at the Cape of Good Hope in 1837, C. stapeliiformis, is stiffly upright in growth, sometimes twining. It bears no leaves, and all winter is just a few dull green sticks.
But when summer comes, clusters of buds appear at the joints of the stems and unfold into strange black and white flowers with long white, purple-spotted tubes and five long black tips.
Ceropegia Sandersonii
C. sandersonii is a vine from Natal. It has a curious long green flower expanding into a trumpet surrounded by a fringed, green-spotted canopy supported on five short standards.
From Delagoa Bay in Africa, C. Monteiroa was sent to England in 1884. It was named for Mrs. J. Monteiro of Delagoa Bay, who sent the first tubers of C. sandersoni to England. C. monteiroa is a smooth, climbing vine, about as thick as a goose quill, white, mottled brown.
The pale green leaves are opposite and fall at the approach of winter. The flowers are borne in clusters of three.
The tube is funnel-shaped, dull green, and white striped, while the mouth is trumpet-shaped, arched over by a flat plate of white, purple-spotted.
This species must have a season of rest and dryness during the winter, given just enough water to keep the vine firm.
Propagated By Cuttings
The ceropegia may be propagated by cuttings in the spring or by the tubers.
Set them in the sand with bottom heat and keep them barely moist until growth starts. One-third of each loam, leaf mold (or peat), and sand is a good soil mixture for potting.
Give plenty of water in summer when they are growing, but very little in winter during the rest period.
44659 by Bessie R. Buxton