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Other Taxa & Unknowns "somalense nova" "Thai Socotranum" Sahel Group Lake Eyasi mystery som. - crisp. intergrade A. coetanum? The Sahel Group Adeniums in the Sahel west of Ethiopia are of unknown identity. There are a few herbarium specimens, but no live plants in cultivation that are available for study. In photos the plants look much like A. somalense , but the leaves and flowers look more like those of A. "obesum ". If anyone has more photos or live plants from the Sahel (any country east of Ethiopia), please contact me . Above: Plants of Adenium sp. near Tintane (west of Nema), in southeast Mauritania; bush grassland. Plants from this region have been described as A. honghel ; there are no specimens available for study. Photos: Helene Jousse (via Jan Schlogl) Above: Plants and flowers of Adenium sp. near Tintane (west of Nema), in southeast Mauritania; bush grassland. Plants from this region have been described as A. honghel ; there are no specimens available for study. Photos: Helene Jousse (via Jan Schlogl) Above: Two plants of an Adenium sp. near Bénoué National Park, northern Cameroon. Plants west of here have been described as A. honghel ; plants to the east have been described as A. speciosum . There are no specimens available for study. Photos: Joel Peterson Back to Top Adenium speciosum? Left two: Plant and flowers of an adenium near Kauda, South Kordofan, Sudan. It looks similar to A. somalense in Ethiopia and Kenya, but plants from this region have been described as Adenium speciosum . Click to enlarge. Photos: submitted by Ricardo Denis. Adenium honghel? Left two: Adeniums near Bakel, Senegal. Right two: Adenium near Kedougou, Senegal; this is a mesic habitat for adeniums. Plants from this region have been described as Adenium honghel . The flowers at first appear to have dark throats, but they actually have pink throats overlain with very thick nectar guides. Click to enlarge. Photos: submitted by Ricardo Denis. Right two: Adenium near Yankari, Alkaleri, NG-BA, Nigeria. Plants from this region have been described as Adenium honghel . This plants's flowers look much like those above from Senegal. Again, the dark-appearing throats are caused by thick nectar guides. Photos submitted by Ricardo Denis. Adenium "somalense nova" This taxon was discovered in the mid 1990s in Tanzania, and is in the trade as Adenium "somalense nova". The name is enclosed in double quotation marks to indicate that it is not validly published. In nature the caudex is globular and buried underground, with erect, barely succulent stems to about 4 feet (1.2 m) tall. In cultivation seedlings develop a short-conical caudex that is partially exposed. The plants grow fairly rapidly and make a large caudex compared to the size of the plant in a few years. The small flowers start appearing sparsely at the end of the growing season in fall, followed by a more profuse bloom through the winter while the plants are leafless. They are pink to red at the edges, fading to a white throat with prominent nectar guides. The anther appendages protrude slightly beyond the tube. Another population that looks very much like this taxon has been found more than 100 km away. Adenium "somalense nova" collected in Tanzania. The caudexes were underground. Photo: Andre Williams Six-year-old seedling of Adenium "somalense nova" in a 16-inch pot beginning to flower at the end of the growing season. Six-year-old seedling of Adenium "somalense nova" in a 16-inch pot flowering during winter dormancy. Left and Right: Flowers of Adenium "somalense nova" . This group of Adenium "somalense nova" were grown by Hiren Vaghela. This distinct strain has very narrow leaves. Click to enlarge. Photos: Hiren Vaghela. Adenium "somalense nova" in the Wild Above: Adenium "somalense nova" east of Usambara Mountains south of Same, Tanzania. Right: Same plant with caudex excavated. This is a small plant. Photos: Chuck Hanson Back to Top Adenium "Thai socotranum" Adenium "Thai socotranum", also called "Thai soco", are not related to A. socotranum. They are in fact dwarf forms of A. "arabicum" bred in Asia. They are extremely popular, and there are many named varieties. See more examples in the Thai socos section in the A. "arabicum" page "Thai Socotranum" Photo: John Franklin Roosevelt Back to Top A. "obesum" near Lake Eyasi, Tanzania Anomalous adenium plants near Lake Eyasi, Arusha, Tanzania. This is in the geographic range of A. "obesum ", but the plants are unusually caudiciform. More important, the flowers are atypical of either species, but closely match those of A. swazicum or boehmianum hundreds of miles to the south. There is a population of these anomalous white-flowered, dark-throated adeniums growing on a rocky granite hill above a hot spring. Photos: David Bygott. NOTE: There are surely many other anomalous adenium populations in the wild. If you know of any, please contribute photos and other information to further our knowledge of these plants. Back to Top Right: ...and a gigantic specimen in the same locality. Click to enlarge. Photo: Chris Schmeling via David Bygott A. somalense-crispum intergrade? Adenium near Bulo Burri (Bulobarde), Somalia, between the ranges of somalense and crispum. The leaves appear to be linear and crisped like crispum, but this is a tree like somalense. What is it? These two taxa hybridize readily in cultivation. Photo: John Lavranos. Adenium coetanum ? An Adenium in the Dirashe District of southwestern Ethiopia, near the borders with South Sudan and Kenya. The plant is the size of A. somalense , and it occurs within the range of that species. But the leaves look like those of "obesum ", which begins in southern Kenya. The flowers appear to have dark throats,which, if true, is not characteristic of East African adeniums. This plant is not far from an herbarium specimen labeled A. coetanum . This plant also resembles the old cultivar 'Singapore ', which has been sold as A. coetanum . DNA analysis indicates that 'Singapore ' is an intergrade between A. "obesum " and A. somalense (Dimmitt and Edwards 2021 ). Photos: (contributed by Ricardo Denis). Left: This photo was taken in Ethiopia, where adeniums "should be" A. somalense . But the foliage and flower look like those of A. "obesum ". Perhaps this is what has been described as A. coetanum . Photo: Jim & Roxie Esterle Back to Top Footnotes

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 oleifolium swazicum boehmianum Southern African Clade socotranum dhofarense "arabicum" Arabian Clade multiflorum somalense "obesum" crispum East African Clade Ambiguous Taxa "somalense nova" "Thai socotranum" Sahel Group Lake Eyasi mystery som. - crisp. intergrade 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 his extensive field observations. Anchor 1 * 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

Gallery of Superior Cultivars Intraspecific Cultivars "arabicum" boehmianum crispum dhofarense multiflorum "obesum" oleifolium socotranum somalense swazicum Interspecific Hybrid Cultivars "obesum" x swazicum crispum x "obesum" "arabicum" x "obesum" "arabicum" x "obesum" x crispum Rare Crosses Double Flowered Cultivars

Hybrids containing Adenium somalense nova & crispum Waiting for contributions

Adenium boehmianum Schinz Adenium boehmianum is closely related related to A . swazicum , and occurs on the other side of southern Africa in Namibia and southern Angola. It is an erect arborescent shrub, usually with barely succulent stems and only modestly swollen roots. In the northern end of its range it develops thick conical trunks. The leaves are the second largest in the genus. The flowers have broad petals that usually overlap, and are borne from late summer into early winter. This species shares a diagnostic trait with A. swazicum : petals are of uniform pink with no fading toward the dark throat, and very short anther appendages. A. boehmianum is uncommon in cultivation. A. boehmianum at the Huntington Botanical Gardens. The plant is about six feet tall. A. boehmianum flowers are usually circular in outline. Notice that the petal color does not fade toward the throat. Flowers and foliage of A. boehmianum . Flowers and foliage of A. boehmianum . Right: An example of pink flowers of A. boehmianum. Photo: Cheryl Acford Adenium boehmianum in the Wild Adenium boehmianum in Namibia. Photo: Dan Mahr Adenium boehmianum in Namibia. Photo: Dan Mahr Adenium boehmianum in Namibia. This one has a well developed conical trunk. Photo: Dan Mahr Adenium boehmianum in Namibia. Photo: Dan Mahr Adenium boehmianum in Namibia. Photo: Dan Mahr Adenium boehmianum in Namibia. Photo: Robert H. Webb Adenium boehmianum at Ojihipa, Namibia (Angolan border on the Kunene River). Photo: Ernst Van Jaarsveld. Flowers of Adenium boehmianum in Namibia on the Kunene River near Epupa Falls. Photo: Ernst Van Jaarsveld. Adenium boehmianum in northern Namibia, exhibiting a splendid succulent trunk. Photo: Ernst Van Jaarsveld. Adenium boehmianum near Okabadjia, Namibia. Photo: John Lavranos. Back to Top Footnotes

Dimmitt Adeniums is the comprehensive website for genus Adenium. We cover: plants in the wild, cultivars, care, and much more all from the mind of the master gardner Mark A. Dimmitt. This website is dedicated to the genus Adenium , commonly called adeniums and desert roses. My main purpose is to showcase their diversity both in the wild and in cultivation. I also provide guidance to cultivating the plants in hot, arid climates, based on my 40+ years of experience. The content was compiled by Dr. Mark Dimmitt of Tucson Arizona, with images and information contributed by many plant explorers and growers all over the world (credited in the photo captions) . The site was designed by Brian Rasmussen . I intend this website to be a comprehensive source of knowledge about Adeniums. I welcome your comments, corrections, and especially additions of new photos and information beyond what is already here. 'Beautiful Mule' 'OMG!'

Hybrids containing Adenium somalense nova & swazicum Waiting for contributions

Discription: Strawberry Sunday MAD-668 Parentage: (either general, e.g., complex [or primary] obesum-crispum hybrid, or exact lineage, e.g., 'Arabian Ruby' x 'Crimson Tower') Creator: (incl. country of origin, company/nursery, year created or published, ) Plant form: (mature size & shape, caudex form [if grown on own roots], leaf shape & color if distinctive, deciduous/evergreen, ??? ) Flower: (incl. blooming season, shape, size, flower count, +?) Notes: (Misc. info, e.g., vigor, needs pruning, rot-prone, hardiness, ???) For consistency, the "gallery" page should be a grid of photos with the cv. name. The photo should be of a flower if that's the main trait of the cv.; or of a plant if that's what the cv. is grown for (e.g., Thai socos). Each cv. page should have at least 2 photos: whole plant and flower closeup; plus leaf if it's distinctive. And of course the list of fields above. Discription:

Adenium "arabicum " Balf. f. Adenium "arabicum" occurs in a narrow strip along the southwestern coast of the Arabian peninsula. The specific epithet is enclosed in double quotation marks because it is an incorrect name. See the page on Nomenclature Issues for details. Plants in cultivation are almost all spreading shrubs with huge, squat caudexes (but see the section on wild variation below). They are usually vigorous and can grow to several feet tall and wide in 10 years with generous culture. Stems are sturdy and upright or ascending. Foliage is quite variable in size and shape, but are usually recognizable by aficionados of the genus. Leaves may be shiny-smooth or softly hairy; this trait has no taxonomic relevance. Compact and dwarf plants exist in cultivation and in the wild. Flowers are usually 1.5 to 2 inches wide, with petals varying from narrow and pointed (star-shaped flowers) to broad and overlapping (circular flowers). Flowers are almost invariably some shade of pink at the margins and fading to white at the throat. The throat is white or yellow, with or without nectar guides. The anther appendages extend to the edge of the throat or a little beyond. Most plants flower profusely in spring before leafing out. Large plants tend to be evergreen. Some varieties flower mainly in summer, and selected clones also flower sporadically throughout the year. Adenium "arabicum " 'Yemeni Giant ', 3 years old in 12-inch pot. They can grow even faster. Flower of Adenium "arabicum " plant at left . An Adenium "arabicum " with star-shaped flowers Adenium "arabicum " 'Sheila Collenette ' from Saudi Arabia. This plant is in the ground under a fiberglass roof. It had just survived a few nights of 22° F (-5° C) with only minor tip damage. The plant is 8 years old with a caudex more than a foot wide. Adenium "arabicum " 'Sheila Collenette ' from Saudi arabia, same plant as one at left flowering a year later. This plant has glabrous leaves; these are found scattered among the more common hairy-leafed plants. Adenium "arabicum" from Jebel Shada, Saudi Arabia. This plant was the fastest growing in a batch of seedlings. It is 11 years old in a 42-inch pot; the caudex is almost 3 feet across. Adenium "arabicum " flower on a plant from Jebel Shada, Saudi Arabia. This one lacks nectar guides. Adenium "arabicum" 'Hansoti Dwarf' has reddish flowers. This clone has been in cultivation in India since at least the 1930s. It most likely originated on the Aden Peninsula, the type locality for A. "arabicum" . Adenium "arabicum " flower with dark color. This A. "arabicum" has near-white flowers. Back to Top Left: Adenium "arabicum" grows large enough to make splendid landscape plants in tropical climates, such as this one in Florida USA. Photo: Ray Lemieux "Thai socotranum" & other dwarf A. "arabicum " Adenium "Thai socotranum ", also called "Thai soco", are not related to Adenium socotranum . They are in fact dwarf forms of A. "arabicum " bred in Asia. They are extremely popular, and there are many named varieties. The names of Thai soco plants are treated as cultivars, but they are probably not. They are defined by their physical forms that are created not only by their genetics, but largely by how they are groomed (pruned and trained) to look like miniature examples of wild Adenium socotranum (Ashish Hansoti, written communication). Thus the names are more like the terms that define bonsai styles. There are dwarf populations and isolated individuals of A. "arabicum" in nature. There are also dwarf cultivars that were developed outside of Asia. See below and the superior cultivars page. Left: Adenium "arabicum " 'Petch Na Wan ' was purchased as a small seedling in 2009. Far left: plant at 14 years old. Near left: 22 years old. Not pruned or trained. Right: Adenium "arabicum " 'Golden Crown' was purchased as a small seedling in 2003. Shown at 17 years old, not pruned or trained. Left: Adenium "arabicum " 'MAD967' is a seedling from 'Petch Na Wan, shown at 10 years old. Not pruned or trained. Right: Adenium "arabicum " 'MAD965' is a seedling from the Thai soco 'Petch Ban Na' crossed with the wild collected 'Hansoti Dwarf', shown at 10 years old. Not pruned or trained. Back to Top Left: Adenium "arabicum " 'Arbolito' is a seedling from 'RCN' ('Queen of a Thousand Flowers'), which is a huge plant. Most of the seeds I grew were big plants, but one became this miniature tree; it's 2 feet tall at 11 years old. Not pruned or trained. Adenium "arabicum" in the wild This gallery shows some of the huge variation that is found in wild A. "arabicum" . Adenium "arabicum" on Jabal Shada, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette April 1995. Adenium "arabicum" , an arborescent specimen in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette. Adenium "arabicum" near Talalah, Saudi Arabia. This is a high elevation form dwarfed by freezing temperatures. The stems don't extend beyond the protection of the overhanging rock. Photo: Sheila Collenette. An arborescent Adenium "arabicum" in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette. A beautiful Adenium "arabicum" tree near Haqw (between Muhayl and Ad Darb, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette. Several plants of Adenium "arabicum" growing on a rock outcrop near Lejib Gorge (Wadi Lajab), Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette. A huge specimen of Adenium "arabicum" near Moraiwa, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette. A huge Adenium "arabicum" near the base of Al Abna Descent, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sheila Collenette. Above and below: Flowers of Adenium "arabicum" in Saudi Arabia. Photos: Sheila Collenette. A huge tree of Adenium "arabicum" on Jabal Shada, Saudi Arabia. This mountain has both shrubby and arborescent adeniums, as well as dwarf ones at high elevations where they are frost-pruned. Photo: Sheila Collenette. Adenium "arabicum" in SW Yemen. Photo: Toni Yocum. Adenium "arabicum" in SW Yemen. Photo: Toni Yocum. Adenium "arabicum" in SW Yemen. Photo: Robert H. Webb. Above: Flowers of two Adenium "arabicum" in SW Yemen. Below: typical foliage of the species. Photos: Robert H. Webb. Adenium "arabicum" in SW Yemen. Photo: Robert H. Webb, December 2007. A 3-trunked Adenium "arabicum" , intermediate form between shrub and tree. Near Al Mukalla, Yemen. Photo: Robert H. Webb. Adenium "arabicum" near Al Mukalla, central Yemen coast. At least 5 plants are visible in the center image. Inset: Flower from this locality. Photos: Robert H. Webb, December 2007. Adenium "arabicum" on the Hajja road at the east edge of the Tihama Plain, Yemen. Photo: Robert H. Webb, December 2007. Toni Yocum with an Adenium "arabicum" on the Hajja road at the east edge of the Tihama Plain, Yemen. This population has many arborescent specimens. Photo: Robert H. Webb, December 2007. Adenium "arabicum" on the Hajja road at the east edge of the Tihama Plain, Yemen. Photo: Robert H. Webb, December 2007. Above: Adenium "arabicum" on Jabal Soodah, Saudi Arabia. A fruit from one of these plants founded the Soodah Dwarf strain in cultivation. All of the seeds produced dwarf plants, even though there are arborescent plants nearby. Photo: Tom McCoy. Right: Adenium "arabicum" collected as a tiny seedling on Jabal Shamsan, Aden Peninsula, Yemen, by John Lavranos #1694. This is the type locality of A. "arabicum" . Left, above, right, & below: Adenium "arabicum" in high mountains near Al Bahah, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Boris Vrskovy (Puk). Left, above, & right: Adenium "arabicum" near Tihama, Yemen. Photo: Boris Vrskovy (Puk). Back to Top Footnotes

Adenium multiflorum Klotsch Adenium multiflorum is native to Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Wild plants range from scraggly understory shrubs to erect shrubs more than 8 feet tall. There is usually no distinct caudex, but the roots and stems become quite thick in older plants. It has the second largest leaves in the genus (after A. boehmianum ). Flowers are borne in profusion during winter when the plants are leafless. Plants have an obligate winter dormancy, and seem to require a cold (but above freezing) winter to stimulate flowering. The diagnostic features of this species are the white flowers with narrow red edges that bloom in winter, and the anther appendages that are exserted well beyond the throat that has prominent nectar guides. If your plant has picoteed flowers that bloom in other seasons when in leaf, it is not A. multiflorum . This species is not widely grown. The likely reasons are its slow growth and the need for a cool fall with strong winter light to flower well. Moreover, most people are not shopping for tropical plants during winter. Left and above: Adenium multifllorum flowers only in winter while leafless. This plant, 'MAD 110', is ten years old. Above: Flower of A. multiflorum 'MAD 110' Note the exserted anther appendages. The broad leaves of A. multiflorum . Only those of A. boehmianum are larger. Left and above: Caudex and flower of A. multiflorum 'Gus Spartas'. The plant was grown from a small seedling collected in Zimbabwe in 1998. The flowers of this plant have particularly wide and bright margin. Left and Above: A. multiflorum 'MAD 1', my first accessioned adenium cultivar. The plant in the photo is 29 years old. Above: A. multiflorum with a narrow picotee. Collection of Ashish Hansoti. Adenium multiflorum in the Wild Above: John Bliznak next to an Adenium multiflorum in Limpopo National Park, Mozambique. (The plant had been transplanted to a ranger station.) Photo: John Bliznak Above: Adenium multiflorum recently imported from Mozambique. Photo: John Bliznak Above: Adenium multiflorum in Thornybush Game Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa. After wet winters this species may flower with persistent leaves. (In biology there is an exception to every rule!) Plant and flowers of A. multiflorum in Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga, South Africa. This specimen was transplanted to a display garden at the Paul Kruger entrance gate. Photos: Sheryl Hayes. Most plants of A. multiflorum in Kruger N.P. are scrawny understory shrubs, probably because they're trampled by wildlife. These flowers lack a sharp red edge. Left and above: Plant and flowers of A. multiflorum at the entrance to the lodge at Thornybush Game Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Back to Top A gorgeous specimen of A. multiflorum , location unknown. Photo: Frandsen. [Lost contact; please help] Footnotes