Here come caudiciforms! (26 pics)

If you happen to follow me on Twitter you're already aware of and hopefully not too annoyed by my current obsession with caudiciforms. Same as with Adromischus last year and Anacampseros/Avonia the year before that, my interests shift and develop and inevitably include a new genus or type of plant to obsess about each year. It does not mean I'm neglecting any of my earlier passions. Those passions are very much alive and growing. But discovering new plants for oneself, as you surely know, is a special delight. From what I see within our plant growing community, my fascination with caudiciforms of all kinds was long time coming and could even be considered a natural progression of sorts. And yes, it probably means Haworthias are next! 😄

Before going on a shopping spree I did consider accommodations for the new plants. A corner in front of the balcony was not being used sufficiently, even though it is a really bright spot with lots of morning sunlight and ceiling-high windowpanes for vines to enjoy. I have also cleaned milk glass films from two panes to enable plants be placed floor level. And yet, it seems I have underestimated how large the leaves and vines can get! Luckily not all of the fat plants grow at the same time. I still have some wish plants in mind that I would like to get, but the collecting is practically over and the growing begins. The exciting part!

Here is the general setup, with some other plants strategically placed on windowsills.

You see those ginormous vines and heart shaped leaves? That's a Stephania (most likely rotundifolia or cephalantha). Got this one at the Essen succulent market some time ago after another Stephania species (the one with round leaves, S. erecta I believe) was snatched away from under my nose (this year's market was brutal!). The second choice has quickly become the main attraction. 

So much green and it's growing visibly every day. I swear I saw it move in front of my eyes one morning! I'm not used to this speed of growth with all those mesembs and co. She needs a lot of water to support all this, too. But these leaves are worth every effort.

Next are the two Cucurbitaceae (pumpkins) I got from the same place. Both for some reason have abandoned all vines except one, which then proceeded to grow until it reached the ceiling. They are still trying to continue growing, somewhere, somehow.

The leaves are very similar. Left is Cyclantheropsis parviflora, right - Momordica boivinii.

                

 

The caudex shape is quite different though. Momordica boivinii is still rather young but from what I understand the caudex will be something of a tree trunk.

It has been flowering, too, showing male as well as female flowers. The timing was not right for any pollination attempts.

Cyclantheropsis parviflora's caudex is flat with really nice bark. Honestly, bark of caudiciforms is so fascinating. Especially the way it splits and peels and then splits again when the caudex grows.

The whole thing with bark cracking when growing is of course most prominent in certain Dioscorea species. I have a couple of young Dioscorea elephantipes, while I'm not 100% sure the bigger plant is D. elephantipes. The smaller plant is just waking up.

The bigger one is actively growing and showing great climbing skills, too. Clever plant does not inflate its leaves until it gets a good grip somewhere. 

                                               

By the way, if you thought these are ball shaped underneath, the shape is more of a jelly fish.

I do have a big 30 cm Dioscorea, but it's a Dioscorea macrostachya (syn. mexicana) and being a summer grower it's dormant now. Hope it will wake up in March or so... It is alive and rooted. Fingers crossed.

That's no moon! It's a..... Raphionacme burkei. 

Very cool plant. Hope not to kill it.

It seems to be growing flowers at the moment, followed by leaves. It is supposed to be a shrub which is good because the Stephania is gonna take over the whole climbing trellis anyway.

If you thought this one is round underneath - nope! It's a turnip.

This is a Pachypodium bispinosum that I have to hide from the cat (not that she has ever shown any interest in chewing on plants). It's lodging with Haworthias and is growing well after some initial acclimation problems. I believe these can grow long branches but the previous grower has been carefully trimming them, it seems. I'll try to do the same.

Love the bark/leaf color contrast.

And no, it's not ball shaped. I don't even know what this is. A monster carrot?

What's really ball or coconut shaped is Ipomoea holubii (or Turbina holubii or Ipomoea bolusiana). I could not find any confirmation online that it is toxic, except one mention that the seeds are. Let me know it you know more. The cat does not show any interest in it but still.

Adenium's fresh green

On August 20th I've posted this photo of this plant.  I've decided not to prune just yet and wait for the spring. I think it was a good decision because this is how it reacted to the recent repotting :)

Two of the other Adeniums from this post are growing new leaves as well.

Adenium (7 pics)

Check out these butts! :D

I have sown these Adeniums in 2008 or 2009, sometime before I went to study in Japan, and never picked them up from my parents after that (no room and all). My mother has been taking very good care of them and the caudex part of the plants looks great! The green part however doesn't really want to grow properly so I took them back now to see if I can help with that. My parents don't really find them pretty so maybe they will once they see how they can bloom ;)

The substrate I used now is a mix of cacti soil and pumice, the containers are deep to give them more "leg" room. If I remember correctly the one with narrow leaves is an A. somalense. The one without leaves will need some trimming but I read it is better done before spring (?). The largest is 13 cm in diameter. Any advise on how to get them to grow the upper part? 

Aloinopsis rubrolineata (4 pics)

I recently got this older plant from an obviously very skilled grower in the UK and I'm really excited to grow it from now on. Such a majestic tree it is! I only have small pots to offer at the moment so from any point of view it's better for it to be elevated. And even like this the thickest part of the "trunk" ist still underground.

The leaves are slightly different from those my younger plant has, more nananthus-like. My younger and smaller A. rubrolineata also has thick roots but even though it's raised up as well, modest as it is, it hides them behind its wide leaves.

New: Nananthus aloides

Got this one from ebay because it looked weird. I like weird. On the pic it seems to be bigger but the pot it 5x5cm which makes it even more attractive to me - the smaller the better. :)

Nananthus transvaalensis (2 pics)

My new plants have arrived! Well, really new are only two, one of which is this Nananthus. I'm still trying to get familiar with more non-lithops mesembs, you know. Not a surprise but still a great sight were the wonderfully thick roots. I read that with the caudiciform mesembs the roots only grow larger when they're underground but I couldn't bring myself to bury them completely (a mistake?). While my Aloinopsis rubrolineata is completely buried (no idea if it helps), Avonia quinaria plants (not a mesemb) are above ground and don't get much bigger as far as I can tell. Maybe I should bury them all for now.

 

I heard that caudiciforms are grown underground untill they're large enough to be displayed as such...

Caudiciform Aloinopsis

I swear these are the last plants I'll buy this year. :D It's really difficult to restrain yourself if you're visiting a cactus nursery, and I wanted to have these Aloinopsis plants anyway. I even went for the most compact ones. And what a surprise it was to find a large caudex on the Aloinopsis rubrolineata while transplanting today. I could't make myself put it under the ground again so here it is for all to see. :)

Aloinopses schooneesii (with a flower coming up) has a thick root as well but I've hidden it for now.

PS: Luckily neither Neohenricia nor Avonia have opened their flowers while I was away. Photos soon~