Ceropegia

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In general there can be differenced five different groups.:

1. non-succulent species e.g. Ceropegia andamanica

- These species are mostly not in cultivation, they are mostly scrampling plants with 'normal', not succulent leaves. These species originate in most cases from Asia or Australasia.

2. tuber-building species e.g. Ceropegia linearis ssp. woodii

- These species build subterranean tubers, the overground parts of the plant can be annual or longer lasting, the leaves can be both succulent and not succulent.

3. less succulent species with 'normal' leaves e.g. Ceropegia aristolochioides

- These species are mostly less succulent, the leaves are often not succulent at all and are oftentimes dropped once a year.

3.1. less succulent species with succulent leaves e.g. Ceropegia nilotica

- These species are mor or less similar to the former but have succulent, sometimes even highly succulent leaves

4. succulent species without resp. with tiny leaves e.g. Ceropegia ampliata

- These species are mostly twining or climbing, leaves do mostly exist but are very small and scale-like and are soon dropped.

5. high-grade succulent species e.g. Ceropegia stapeliiformis

- These species grow as climbers or creepers, sometimes the stems drive into the ground, grow on subterrestrial, just to appear on another spot. The inflorescences appear on thinner, twining stems.

5.1. high-grade succulent, upright growing species e.g. Ceropegia dichotoma

- These species can be find mostly on the Canary Islands, they grow upright candelabrum-like, the stems branch on the base and later curve down to the ground, just to root and to build new plants. Leaves exist and can be quite large, but they are dropped when the growing season is over.

5.2. high-grade succulent, dimorphic species e.g. Ceropegia dimorpha

- These species grow at first upright or creeping and have thick stems, often with leaves, later the stem becoms slimmer and starts to grow twining, also the leaves become larger. These species are also called crocodile Ceropegias.