Nile Ceropegia

nilotica: from the valley of the Nile

Perennial twining herb with annual sparsely branched stems, up to 2 m long, growing from a cluster of fusiform succulent roots. Milky sap present. Leaves opposite, broadly ovate-lanceolate, up to c. 8 × 6 cm, somewhat fleshy, hairless; petiole c. 1 cm. Flowers in 1-several-flowered axillary inflorescences. Corolla 3.5-5 cm long; tube slightly curved, swollen at the base with a constriction in the middle of the swollen part, pale coloured with a purplish tinge, heavily marked dark purple on the widening upper third towards the lobes, connecting at the tips to form a "cage", dark purple and hairy on the inside with yellow spots near the base. Corona with outer lobes forming 5 pockets with entire margins; inner lobes linear, more or less recurved.

Widespread in tropical Africa extending to Kwazulu Natal, Zimbabwe and Namibia.