ADENIA EPIGEA

This member of the Passifloraceae family was found by Joseph Marie Henry Alfred Perrier de la Bâthie around 1910, but was given this name by him in 1940. It is found - in it's green form - in central and northern Madagascar, growing in a well drained soil with some water and some to lots of sun. The caudex can grow to 20 centimetres or even 60 in diameter, the plant can raise from 120 to 500 centimetres. What former have been known as "The Red Form" is actually A. firingalavensis var. stylosa which have been raised to its own species by David John Hearn in 2007: Adenia stylosa.

The name Adenia is derived from aden, meaning gland, and pertains to the glands found on leaves of most of the species.

The species name means 'ground-crawling'. The leaves changes on the single plant from almost round to three lobed. Photo by Soumen Aditya. The leaves changes on the single plant from almost round to three lobed. Photo by Soumen Aditya.