CEROPEGIA AFRICANA

This member of the Asclepiadaceae family was given this name by Robert Brown in 1922. It is found in Lesotho and southern South Africa, growing in a well drained but rich soil with quite some water and some sun. The caudex can grow to ten centimetres in diameter, the entire plant to 15 or even 30 centimetres in height. The flowers are brownish violet.

The genera name is from the Greek word keropegion meaning 'candelabrum', because Linnaeus thought that the flowers looked like candles. The species name indicates its origin from Africa, where the species first was described in India. *)Accordantly to the latest taxonomic system; APG IV 2016, Asclepiadaceae is now part of the Apocynaceae. Photo by Cereusly, Cactiguide.com.