5370.000 Adenia Forssk.

OPHIOCAULON Hook. f.

Description of the genus

Herbaceous or woody climbers, erect herbs, shrubs or small trees, sometimes with a grossly swollen massive trunk. Plants usually with tendrils. Stipules minute. Leaves alternate, sometimes simple and entire or variously lobed, or palmately dissected or digitate. Glands 1-2, usually present at base of lamina or at apex of petiole, sometimes elsewhere on lamina. Inflorescence axillary, cymose. Flowers unisexual or bisexual, usually greenish or yellowish. Sepals (4-)5(-6), free or partially connate into a tube. Petals (4-)5(-6). Corona poorly-developed or 0. Styles 3(-5). Capsule 3(-5)-valved. Seeds ± flattened, enclosed in an aril.

Worldwide: c.93 species, found in Africa, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

Zimbabwe: 10 taxa.

Insects associated with this genus:
Acraea oncaea (Window acraea or Rooibok) Food plant
Cadarena Pudoraria Larval foodplant
Adenia goetzei

Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
digitata (Harv.) Engl.N,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
fruticosa Burtt Davy subsp. simplicifolia W.J. de Wilde[VU]E,SDescription, Image
goetzei HarmsNDescription, Image
gummifera (Harv.) Harms var. gummifera N,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
karibaensis W.J. de Wilde[End][LR-nt]NDescription, Image
lobata (Jacq.) Engl. subsp. rumicifolia (Engl. & Harms) LyeEDescription, Image
panduriformis Engl.N,E,SDescription, Image
repanda (Burch.) Engl.N,SDescription
spinosa Burtt Davy[VU]SDescription, Image
stricta (Mast.) Engl.NDescription

Other sources of information about Adenia:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Adenia
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Adenia
Flora of Malawi: Adenia
Flora of Mozambique: Adenia
Flora of Zambia: Adenia

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Adenia
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Adenia
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Adenia
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Adenia
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Adenia
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Adenia
JSTOR Plant Science: Adenia
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Adenia
Plants of the World Online: Adenia
Tropicos: Adenia
Wikipedia: Adenia

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Genus page: Adenia.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=989, retrieved 19 March 2024

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