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Species

The genus Adenium consists of 11 phenotypically recognizable types in cultivation. There are at least 8 good species in nature, and perhaps several more (see map below). For ease of labeling, this site treats each type as a separate species, and I will use the names that are popular among horticulturists until the taxonomic confusion has been sorted out. Specific epithets (the second word in a binomial [scientific] species name) that have not been validly published and incorrect published names are enclosed in double quotes. (Very important: single quotation marks identify a cultivar name.)

The taxonomy page summarizes what is known about adenium species,  and the nomenclatural issues page summarizes the problems. See Dimmitt and Edwards 2021 for a detailed analysis.

Adenium
Southern African Clade
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Approximate known distributions of Adenium taxa. The map was
drawn from a rough sketch by John Lavranos, based on about 120 European herbarium records and Lavranos' extensive field observations.

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* 2021. Dimmitt, Mark A. and Taylor Edwards. Adenium Taxonomy and Nomenclature: Progress Creates More Questions. Cactus and Succulent Journal (U.S.). Vol. 3 no. 4, pp 252-266. Available as a PDF on request to the first author.

Footnotes

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