Caudex Plant Encyclopedia

A Passiflora-family caudex with a large green caudex and tri-lobed leaves with climbing stems.

An exceptionally hairy Adenia from Kenya and Tanzania, with trunk and leaves covered in fine grey to rusty-brown hairs. It bears downward-facing, cream, pot-shaped flowers and bright red fruits the size of an egg.

A Madagascan Adenia that sends green vines with lace-like, finely divided leaves from a caudex about 20 cm across. It is grown more for its foliage than its caudex, and a white-spotted "snowflake" form is also known.

A summer-growing Adenia from northern South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe whose twisted, spiny branches rise from a large, irregular, swollen stem. Only seed-grown plants form a caudex; plants from cuttings never do.

From South Africa, blooming many red-white flowers in winter, called Impala Lily.

An Adenium recognised by its broad-based, conical caudex and narrow leaves with white veins. Flowers are smaller than those of A. obesum, under 5 cm across, with narrow pointed petals and red nectar guides.

An African bulbous caudex with beautiful fan-shaped wavy leaves and impressive flower heads.

A Mexican aromatic caudex with peeling bark and fragrant resin.

Called Elephant Tree, a Mexican caudex with thick white trunk and tiny leaves.

A Mexican spherical caudex with cork-like large tuber producing fine grass-like leaves.

A large caudex plant from South Africa in the grape family, with thick trunk and large leaves, also known as Wild Grape.

A grape-family caudex with peeling yellow bark and large leaves from Namibia.

A caudiciform legume from south-western Madagascar with a bottle-shaped trunk of peeling grey bark under an umbrella-shaped crown. It has finely divided leaves and fragrant white flowers with long red stamens.

Known as Tortoise Plant, with turtle shell-like caudex producing winter vines.

Called Mexican Tortoise Plant with rounder caudex, summer-growing unlike the African species.

A caudiciform member of the grape family endemic to south-western Madagascar. From a stout brown caudex like an elephant's foot it sends out vining stems with fleshy three-lobed leaves in summer. CITES Appendix II.