Adenia GLAUCA - Glaucous adenia, Adenia glauca.
Can be grown in bonsai style!
Adenia is a genus of perennial succulent plants in the passionflower family (Passifloraceae), numbering about 100 species. Most species grow in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia, especially in Madagascar.
Different species can have diverse growth forms: from herbaceous vines to massive trees. The stems of some species are thickened and form a massive caudex reaching several meters (yards) in diameter, making them popular subjects for growing under domestic conditions and in botanical collections. The caudex serves as a water-storing organ, allowing the plant to survive arid periods. Leaves are simple or palmate-lobed, often with glandular formations at the base of the blade. Most species have tendrils that help them climb supports.
The flowering period of the plant falls in July. Fragrant flowers in most species are small, unisexual, clustered in axillary umbellate inflorescences. Petal coloration is yellow, yellow-green, and white-yellow. The fruit is a cone-shaped, obovoid capsule or berry, often inflated, of yellow, green, or red color, containing rounded seeds.
It is an undemanding plant in care, growing rather slowly indoors. Many species demonstrate exceptional drought tolerance thanks to the massive caudex where moisture is accumulated. It can be trained wonderfully as a bonsai. It looks great in a grouping of succulent plants, including ornamental-flowering ones.
Glaucous adenia is one of the most attractive and popular species. The trunk is covered with smooth bark of light brown, green, or dark green color. Already from the first days of the seedling, a caudex begins to form in the aboveground part, subsequently acquiring a beautiful bottle-like shape reminiscent of nolina or beaucarnea. Vine-like gray-green branches grow from the upper semi-woody part of the trunk, reaching 2-3 meters (6.6-9.8 ft) in length, and are equipped with tendrils in the upper part. The leaves are petiolate, palmate-divided, leathery, of light green or gray-green coloration. The flowers are unisexual. Sepals and petals are lanceolate, grouped in clusters of 1-5 in axillary corymbs, featuring a delicate creamy yellow-green hue.