The better-known synonym for this plant is Sarcostemma viminale, a name that either applies to an extremely widespread and somewhat variable plant, or one that serves as a catch all for a number of different entities that require further research. Despite the fact that plants in the field often look rather scraggly, as the late Seymour Linden would say, “plants that only their mother could love”, apparently some botanists love them too, as this group has, surprisingly, been quite thoroughly studied. It is indeed widespread, as it can be found in most of the drier parts of Africa, India, SE Asia and Australia. The subspspecies stipitaceum is slightly more restricted, ranging throughout Somalia, but also from Tanzania north through Arabia. Some plants from the northeast provinces of Somalia, which form the “Horn of Africa” are distinctive in their very thick, finely striate stems. While ours does not seem to be striate, the stems are two to three times as thick as typical forms, up to 15 mm diameter, and are pinched into joints like chains of long sausages. We offer rooted cuttings of HBG 58017, a plant collected Nov 23, 1986, by J. Lavranos (24871), G. Barad, S. Carter, M. Kimnach and S. Linden, 84 km S of Carin, Somalia. $10.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 90 (2), Summer 2018