Adenia glauca caudex

This Adenia glauca plant was photographed at Kirstenbosch during November. Note the erect stems of Monadenium lugardiae peeping out beside the large caudex of the Adenia. A. glauca is a warm climate, deciduous shrub with a huge caudex.

Some adenias are herbs, woody climbers or even small trees with or without tendrils and the sexes are often confined to separate plants (dioecious), as is the case with A. glauca. Adenia belong to the Passifloraceae or passion fruit family. Their sap is said to be toxic. The flowers are small, cream coloured and found in spring. The habitat is the dry summer rainfall parts of the northern region of South Africa and also Botswana (www.desert-tropicals.com; Coates Palgrave, 2002).