I've realized we don't have a thread for this delightful group of plants yet. I'm admittedly confused about the naming going on in this wide group, but I intended this to be for Ceropegia, Stapelia, Huernia, Orbea, etc. The often-called "corpse flowers" or "carrion flowers". As far as I'm aware, most have been switched to Ceropegia.

Either way, this is a fun group of plants in my opinion. I love the unique blooms. Probably my favorite group of succulent plants. I once went to the Ruth Bancroft Garden & Nursery in California, and they had some nice specimens growing in one of their rock gardens.

My personal collection currently includes:
- Ceropegia schneideriana (formerly or still Huernia?)
- Ceropegia caudata
- Ceropegia cereiformis (formerly Echidnopsis)
- Ceropegia decaryana
- Ceropegia erinacea (formerly Huernia)
- Ceropegia flavopurpurea
- Ceropegia gigantea (formerly Stapelia)
- Ceropegia grandiflora (formerly Stapelia)
- Ceropegia leendertziae
- Ceropegia mixta
- Ceropegia woodii
- Huernia zebrina (not sure if this is still the name)
- Stapelia hirsuta

I may still have others. I'd have to take a look.



What do you guys currently keep? What are your favorites?

I have quite a few of those, but started to neglect them, as they look more or less the same without flowers. Can I assume that all star shaped flowers are grouped in here?

I put labels on all my pots to remember which is which. A lot of them definitely look similar. I haven't had any blooms in a while. Was a little disappointed my larger gigantea didn't bloom this year.

I'm not sure if there's others outside the Ceropegia/Stapeliads/Huernia/Orbea that have star flowers? Then there's the more alien looking members, like Ceropegia haygarthii...

So Stapelia and Huernia are now Ceropegia?

Yes.

The botanical family that includes Ceropegia also includes other plants with star-shaped flowers (eg. Pachypodium, Adenium) but those are distinct and further away from the stapeliads = stem succulents which were recently lumped with Ceropegia. The original members of the genus (before Stapelia, Huernia, Caralluma et al. were lumped with it) have different looking flowers, like the last plant TK mentioned. So the star-shaped, often hairy or bumpy, often malodorous flowers that we associate with the stapeliads do have a common form but it's not necessarily conserved across the genus or the family. I hope that is clear. I will share some pics later, just weighing in on the names and flowers now.

Thanks Baja.
I was still a bit confused by the naming. As far as I was aware, all the previously mentioned groups had been switched to Ceropegia. So I guess that makes Ceropegia a large and diverse group now.

Here's some of the plants I saw at Ruth Bancroft.

It looks like you went during flowering season. Their web site is also informative, I was browsing it the other day.

Database pictures I have deposited over the years...

Two views of the same plant, (ex-Hoodia) gordonii, in the resting phase and in the growth phase. Very dramatic seasonal changes with this plant, blue and purple and green.




This named hystrix hybrid really invites close inspection with a macro lens, I have lots and lots of flower pictures. Weird spiny bumps at the neck.



A plant in the public garden



Looking chill and flowering in January (usually it's late summer/early fall despite the drought). That plant gets zero water and does fine. So it survives on 10" rainfall and endures a 5-8 month summer drought in the average year.

Closer view of a flower



Everybody loves this flower (ex-Edithcolea grandis)

Ceropegia sordida is one of my dream plants. Never come across it for sale around here though. Lovely pictures though.

Macrocentra said: Ceropegia sordida is one of my dream plants. Never come across it for sale around here though. Lovely pictures though.

I wish I can give you some cuttings, I have too many of those, more than 1 feet length. Have you checked on other synonym of it? It had changed the name from time to time.

I have two, a Mini Starfish (Stapelia paniculata sp scitula) and a Black Bells (S. leendertziae). Some of the Mini clump is dying off at present, scared me until I learned that the older stems do this. It bloomed very nicely earlier this fall though.


The Black Bells is happily blooming in my house at the moment, didn't expect that! This bell just opened yesterday and there are three more buds in progress, one will probably open by the end of the month and the other two sometime in February.


Stapelia glanduliflora is high on my wish list, but at the moment I can't find an actual plant for sale anywhere. There are a few listings for seeds, but I'm leery of them; others online tell me they were almost certainly open pollinated and thus you're more likely to get a mystery hybrid than the desired plant.

The "all stapeliads are Ceropegia" thing is hard to swallow. Can't argue with molecular genetics.
I don't really keep Stapeliads any more but have had a few pass through my hands. Here are some random pictures from my old phone. Sorry I don't know names of any, but they're all common sp.

They look great!
I am thinking Huernia zebrina and Stapelia grandiflora.

By any name, I love these plants. I have a few that seem to be mostly agreeable with the conditions I have available to offer.

Is there seems some irony in the fact that the only plant I know as a Ceropegia isn't yet pictured, or even mentioned? The string of hearts, which has no outward similarities with the former genera that have been lumped with it. IDK, might just be me.

That's an elusive plant for me. Not something I see @ stores and I got a bit in trade or for postage a while back but I killed it within around a year, if I'm remembering right.

Tiffany, good old C. woodii is easily found on the West Coast. I have a few types including a weird one that is a twining climber, variegated ones, and a silver form.
The huge one I have of the typical type is about 8 ft. long and needs trimming. I could send you some…
I have had some of the other vining sp. like C. sandersonii and would grow them again if they were available.

I am glad to hear that. Your big plant sounds amazing! If you get a chance to share some pics, I'd love to see them. I'm left wondering if it's one of those plants that doesn't get along with high humidity and/or hot nights?

Something about any plant being called "string of ___ (something) seems to be a sign that it will die here. I've killed hearts, pearls, dolphins, bananas, coins, raindrops, LOL!

Thank you so much for the offer. So sweet. : ) If you saw my house, you would understand another reason why I really should decline. The reality of when I should have said, "that's enough," vs. what I have crammed in here are sooo not the same thing. LOL!

I'll have to check my computer through my photos. There was a really interesting vining Ceropegia at the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco last time I went. Had some interesting green blooms. Not sure what species it was. I'll see if I can find it.

Edit: Oh darn, I think it's on my Nikon. Which is back home and I'm in an airport right now. Guess that'll have to wait!

Picked up a mystery plant at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Assuming C. gigantea given they seem to be relatively common. But who knows!

Anyone seen Ceropegia hirsutis for sale in Canada or the US? Would love to have one.

If in the US, K can take care of it when I'm not here.

I found the link below. Is this what you are searching for or is it a trailing/vining plant you need? I thought I read somewhere that stapelias are now called ceropegia.

https://mountaincrestgardens.c...

or is this link what you are searching for?

https://www.indiabiodiversity....

Have not come across these anywhere yet.

The first one is the one I'm looking for.