The cucumber family includes a fascinating variety of succulent forms: numerous caudiciforms, stem succulents (Neoalsomitra) and even lianas with succulent leaves as in Xerosicyos. Nearly all these variations have at some stage the cucurbit feature of stems that climb with the aid of tendrils. X. danguyi has the most succulent leaves in the family, orbicular and wafer-like to 4 cm across and up to 7 mm thick. It is easily propagated from stem cuttings and thus is represented in cultivation by a handful of collections, including Rauh’s distributed as ISI 1225 in 1980. We are able to increase the cultivated gene pool with this offering: seedlings with up to a dozen leaves (as of this writing) that display subtle variation in shape from orbicular to ovate. HBG 90230, from seeds collected Nov 20, 2002, by Röösli & Hoffmann (1602), at Tulear, Madagascar. $5.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 76 (2), March - April, 2004