Adenium obesum

Adenium obesum

Family: Apocynaceae

Common name: desert rose

The deciduous, succulent shrubs or small trees are 1-4 m tall. One to a few erect, smooth stems arise from a swollen base and taper towards the apex where several short, spreading to erect branches are produced. The obovate and elliptic leaves are 80-100 Í 30-35 mm, with a short petiole, and are clustered at the tips of the branches. Several flowers are borne in terminal clusters. The corolla is cup-shaped from a short cylindrical base, pink throughout and somewhat darker towards the margins of the lobes, with darker pink stripes in the somewhat paler throat. The corolla lobes are downy, bright cerise at the margins, fading to pink towards the center. Flowering in winter. The name obesum is derived from the Latin word that means fat or fleshy, referring to the habit of the stems.

Sowing instructions: Seed should be sown in spring or during summer, in a well-drained seedling mix, and need only be covered lightly with the sowing mix, clean coarse sand or milled bark to stop it from blowing away. The trays should be kept moist in a warm but shaded position.

Locality: Langobaya. Harvest: September 2024