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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

Hybrids containing Adenium somalense nova & crispum Waiting for contributions

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

Adenium Sculptural Elegance, Floral Extravagance Adenium: Sculptural Elegance, Floral Extravagance, covers the cultivation and care of Adeniums, as well as their unique and attractive characteristics.The book showcases the beauty and ornamental value of Adeniums, and provides detailed information for both hobbyists and professional growers. The book is out of print, but you can download a 45 megabyte PDF; use the button below. Meet the Authors Corrections and Clarificatons Historic Letters Download PDF of Book Meet the Authors Authors from left to right: Dave Palzkill, Gene Joseph and Mark Dimmitt Mark A. Dimmitt has a Ph.D. in biology (zoology-herpetology) from the University of California at Riverside. He is retired from a 40-year career as a botanist/ecologist, mostly at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. His second career is collecting and hybridizing plants, first Trichocereus (cacti) and Tillandsia (bromeliads). Since the late 1970s his main focus has been on breeding Adenium s. David A. Palzkill has a Ph.D. in Horticulture and Plant Pathology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison where he studied calcium-related problems of vegetable crops. Following fourteen years on the faculty of the University of Arizona, he consulted on alternative crops for dry regions and grew adeniums commercially for about 20 years. Gene E. Joseph studied Plant Sciences at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He was plant propagator at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum where he focused his interest in desert flora. He has run Plants for the Southwest, a desert plant nursery in Tucson, since 1986 Corrections & Clarifications Page 13, Figure 9: Photo was taken near Benoue National Park in northern Cameroon, not in Mauritania as stated in the book. Page 45, under Flowers header: The first sentence should read "The small flowers (Figure 105) are produced abundantly for about two months during late winter and early spring,... " Page 47, Figure 108: Pho to: Boris Vrskovy (Puk, with an accent on the y), not P. Mukundan. Page 65, Figure 44: The flower is 'Yolk Fragrance', purchased in Taiwan and photographed by Mark Dimmitt. Here is a picture of 'Arctic Snow', by David Clulow. Page 70, Figures 60 and 61: Photos are by David Clulow, not Ashish Hansoti as stated. Page 78, Figure 91: It's 'Harry Potter'; photo: Kenneth Wall. Page 96, Origin of 'Singapore': I rediscovered a lost note from Albert Chan and a letter from Frank Horwood dated 1980. Professor Holttum told Horwood that Adenium 'Singapore' was introduced to horticulture in Singapore in 1933, 50 years earlier than I had thought. (Richard Eric Holttum was Director of the Singapore Botanical Garden from 1926 to 1949, and later was on the staff of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew.) Chan's and Horwood's letters are archived here . Page 106, third paragraph: In fact, A. swazicum and A. oleifolium do experience freezing temperatures. Adenium oleifolium remains a short shrub partly because it is periodically frozen to the ground. Page 127, Figure 38: Photo: P. Mukundan, not Nathan Wong. Page 134: The Adenium "arabicum" at the bottom of the page is by Godong Ijo Nursery, not David Clulow. Clarifications Page 32: As stated, A. "arabicum" does indeed tend to grow short and squat at low, dry elevations and high, cold ones, and is often arborescent in wetter habitats. However, growth form is not only environmentally controlled; there is also a strong genetic influence. In cultivation some seedlings become shrubs with squat caudexes, while others grown in the same conditions become trees with tall, conical trunks. Page 47: The range of the unnamed Omani Adenium (A. dhofarense as of 2015) extends into eastern Yemen, near Hvai (Boris Vrskovy pers. comm.). The plants in Figures 108 and 109 are in fact from this location in Yemen, not in Oman as the caption states. The photos are also by Boris. Page 54: An adenium registry should go online soon. Stay tuned. (It never happened as of 2023) Species and Hybrid chapters . Flower shapes. Click here for an image gallery of flower shapes . Hybrid Chapter, page 70: After some discussion with Thai growers, it is apparent that most of their "arabicum" cultivars are in fact not cultivars. That is, their named plants such as 'Golden Crown', 'Petch Ban Na', Ra Chi Nee Pan Dok', etc. will not breed true either from seed or asexual means. This is because the names refer to particular growth forms achieved by careful pruning and training of the plants from a very small size. It is still unclear whether there is a formal nomenclatural term for this kind of plant. But they should not be called cultivars, and their names should not be enclosed in single quotes. Page 129, Table 2: When considering whether to water an adenium, it is important to know whether the plant is active or dormant. Click here for a gallery illustrating the terms dormant, active, and growing . Historic Letters

Flower Shapes Flower shape in adeniums is a continuum from very narrow-petaled (extreme star shape) to nearly perfect circles. The shape is complicated by other characteristics such as quilled (rolled) or ruffled petals. Shapes on a single plant can also vary with weather and cultural conditions. I like the definitions of the four shapes that I made up below, but it is often difficult to classify many flowers on the border between two types. Star-shaped Star-shaped flowers have such narrow petals that the free limbs (the part beyond the fused floral tube) barely if at all overlap with each other. They usually also have pointed petal tips. Nearly all flowers of Adenium multiflorum are star-shaped. Adenium crispum 'Famous Ancestor' flowers are typical for the species: star-shaped and quilled, with nectar guides far onto the petals. Adenium "obesum " 'Grumbley White' flowers are very star-shaped. It's from a wild collection. More modern whites have round to circular flowers. 'Colorful and Wonderful', a hybrid of "obesum " and crispum . Flower of an Adenium somalense growing in Bangkok. The petal tips are fairly rounded; this flower could be called a semi-star. An old A. crispum hybrid with very narrow petals. 'Black Raspberry', an "obesum"-crispum hybrid 'Crimson Star' is approaching a semi-star because of the wider petals. 'Success' is also nearly a semi-star. This plant has such weak stems that they hang vertically. Semi-star shaped Semi-star shaped flowers usually have pointed petals, but the petals are wide enough to overlap for up to half of their free lengths. Adenium "arabicum" Adenium "obesum " 'Black Ruby' Adenium "obesum " 'Daeng Siam' The flowers of the "obesum"-crispum hybrid 'Classical' are a bit pointy. The petal overlap is rather good, but the flower outline is not round. Most Adenium socotranum have semi-star shaped flowers. There is little petal overlap, but the tips are round. 'Rainbow' is an "obesum"-swazicum hybrid. The wide petals overlap well, but the pointed petals give it a semi-star shape. Round Round flowers have considerable petal overlap, and usually rounded petal tips. Adenium "arabicum " 'Hansoti Dwarf' Adenium "obesum " 'Amiability' 'Impressive #1' 'Pink Elegance', an "obesum"-swazicum hybrid, backcrossed to "obesum ". It's more difficult to describe the shape of Adenium "obesum" 'White Wave' because of the ruffled petals. It might be circular if the flower were flat. 'White Jade Peony', an "obesum"-swazicum hybrid with very flat petals. The tips are somewhat pointy, but the flower does not look semi-star shaped. Circular Flowers Circular flowers have rounded petal tips and very wide petals that overlap for well over half their lengths and nearly fill the circle they circumscribe. Perhaps there are not yet any truly circular adenium flowers, but the following cultivars at least come close. Adenium "arabicum " 'Yemeni Giant' has nearly circular flowers. This is excellent for a first-generation selection from a wild plant. Adenium boehmianum tends to have circular flowers. 'Evelyn Marie', a complex "obesum"-swazicum hybrid. Adenium "obesum " 'Home Run' 'Taiwan Beauty' (aka 'Beauty of Taiwan') is a hybrid of "obesum " with either swazicum or boehmianum . The ruffled petals of this Adenium "obesum " 'MAD 335' create an almost circular outline. Unfortunately, this blond color is unstable. A few of the normally purplish flowers bleach to this shade when they're a week old. Footnotes

Superior Cultivars of Adenium "obesum" x swazicum "Beauty Of Tiawan' 'Evelyn Marie' 'National Beauty' 'Calypso' 'Gemini' 'Pink Elegance' 'Volcanic Sunset' 'Crimson Star' 'Jade Lotus' 'Rainbow' 'Endless Sunset' 'Little Ruby' 'Red Ribbons' 'White Jade Peony' 'Beauty of Taiwan' (aka 'Taiwan Beauty') Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x A. swazicum complex hybrid. Creator: Unknown; Taiwan origin. Plant : Spreading shrub with lush foliage of large leaves. Known only as grafted plants? Evergreen? Flower: Circular, large. Color somewhat variable. Petals usually uniform light pink with very slight fading toward throat. Sometimes petals blush with slightly darker pink edge. Throat solid deep red. Renowned for blooming profusely. Notes: This cv. was popular in Bangkok, Thailand nurseries in 2000. It's exceptionally elegant and is hopefully still on the market. Above: A large specimen of 'Beauty of Taiwan' in Bangkok. This specimen is multiple grafts on a giant rootstock, probably somalense . Photo: Ashish Hansoti. Above: A young grafted plant of 'Beauty of Taiwan'. Above: The flowers of 'Beauty of Taiwan' vary somewhat with weather. Back to Menu Above left: 'Calypso' is a lush shrub whose foliage can conceal its branch structure. Above right: It can be pruned to create an erect shrub that exposes it sculptural form. 'Calypso' Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x swazicum complex hybrid. Creator: Richard J. (Jake) Henny, Florida, USA, ca. 1986. Plant form: Vigorous, spreading to drooping shrub with massive roots. Flower: Star-shaped, 82 mm diameter x 28 mm petal width. Petals brilliant pink, fading somewhat toward throat. Throat light pink with faint nectar guides. Flowers almost continuously. Notes: The pale throat of this cv. indicates that it is probably a second generation backcross to the "obesum " parent. This is one of the earliest named adenium hybrids, and still a plant worthy to be in collections. Back to Menu Left: Two photos of the brilliant flowers of 'Calypso' taken with different cameras and light conditions. 'Crimson Star' Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x swazicum primary hybrid. (A. "obesum " 'Red Everbloomer ' x A. swazicum 'Boyce Thompson ') Creator: Dimmitt, 1985. Plant form: A vigorous shrub with whitish bark, somewhat swollen main stems, and large roots. The foliage is a lighter green than of most adenium plants. Deciduous in winter unless kept very warm. Flower: Semi-star-shaped, 86 mm diameter x 25 mm petal width. Petals deep, solid crimson-red with almost no fading toward the throat. Throat deep red. Flowers 10 months a year, taking a break in midwinter. Notes: 'Crimson Star' and 'Grumbley White' were introduced to the horticultural world in Asia in the early 1990s. They showed that adenium flowers could be had in colors other than the common pink, and this triggered a surge in adenium popularity that continues today. The whitish bark and pale green leaves are diagnostic of this clone. Plants can be pruned to create a spreading shrub or an erect tree. This clone seems to have become senescent, in that cuttings no longer regain their youthful vigor as shown in some of the photos here. Cuttings and grafts grow weakly and don't develop the characteristic massive roots. If anyone has large specimens that were propagated after about 2000, please inform me. I know of no other adenium that has lost its vigor. Above left: a 10-year-old cutting of adenium 'Crimson Star'. This cv. has almost no caudex, but the trunk and main stems thicken nicely, as do the roots. Above right: 'Crimson Star' on a graft. These plants were trained as trees. Above left: a flower of 'Crimson Star' (bottom) with its parents A. "obesum " 'Red Everbloomer' (left) and A. swazicum 'Boyce Thompson'. This old scanned transparency is oversaturated. The photo above right is closer to 'Crimson Star's' color. Notice the centripetal fading of the petals of the "obesum " parent, and the solid color and characteristic dark throat of the hybrid. Above: a 4-year-old cutting of adenium 'Crimson Star', allowed to grow as a shrub. It's about 3 feet wide and was grown in pure peat moss. Adeniums aren't sensitive to potting medium as long as it's well-drained. This plant was grown in the 1990s. Today this clone has become senescent; cuttings no longer rejuvenate and grow this vigorously. Above: Adenium 'Crimson Star' grafted onto 'Arabian Ruby'. Photo: Kevin Barber. Back to Menu Above: Adenium flower color varies with temperature, becoming more pale with increasing temperature. 'Crimson Star' is one of the more sensitive; these flowers opened after a week of 110+ F (43+ C) weather. Above: The author with a 30-year-old cutting of adenium 'Crimson Star' in 2018. It died in 2022, apparently from being overpotted. Beware! Photo: Sarah Clark. Left: Aggressive rot consumed it Nothing lives forever.. Above: The original seedling of adenium 'Endless Sunset' at 14 years old. 'Endless Sunset' Parentage: Adenium "obesum " x swazicum primary hybrid (A. "obesum " 'Red Everbloomer' x A. swazicum 'Perpetual Pink') Creator: Dimmitt,1983. Plant form: Vigorous erect shrub, taller than wide; significantly swollen roots and main stems; evergreen. Flower: Round, 75 mm diameter x 35 mm petal width. Petals have bright pink edges, fading to medium pink at throat. Throat pink with no nectar guides. Flowers year round if kept warm. Notes: This F1 hybrid is unusual in that the fading petals show "obesum " dominance instead of the usual solid color of swazicum hybrids. Above: The flower of adenium 'Endless Sunset'. Back to Menu 'Evelyn Marie' Parentage: Adenium "obesum " x swazicum primary hybrid: (A. "obesum " 'Red Everbloomer' x A. swazicum 'Perpetual Pink') Creator: Dimmitt 1987. Plant form: Vigorous spreading shrub with fairly sturdy branches and immensely swollen roots. Evergreen. Flower: Circular, 78 mm diameter x 38 mm petal width. Petals deep pink with narrow reddish-pink margin; color fades to medium pink at throat. Throat pink with no nectar guides. Blooms year round under tropical conditions. Notes: Named in honor of my mother Evelyn Marie (Steele) Dimmitt. Above: Adenium 'Evelyn Marie', the original seedling at 17 years old. The plant is about 4 x 4 feet in a 24-inch pot. Above: My mother in 2000 with her new namesake adenium. Above: 'Evelyn Marie' grows a massive "caudex", which are actually roots. Above: The flower of adenium 'Evelyn Marie'. Back to Menu 'Gemini' Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x A. swazicum complex hybrid. Creator: Unknown, Taiwan. Plant form: Medium-size shrub with weak stems. Known only on grafts. Semideciduous winter rest. Flower: Star-shaped, large, 97 mm diameter x 26 mm petal width. Petals intense, solid crimson-red except for a white blaze at the petal bases. The blazes connect around the throat to create a starburst effect. Throat black with no nectar guides. Blooms over a long season. Notes: The white starburst helps to accent the intense color of this beautiful cultivar. This trait shows up occasionally in a wide range of hybrids. Above: A small specimen of 'Gemini' grafted onto an A. "arabicum" hybrid rootstock, in a 12-inch pot. Left and above: Doctor, my eyes! (Apologies to Jackson Browne) Back to Menu 'Jade Lotus' Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x A. swazicum ( complex?) hybrid. (or possibly x A. boehmianum ) Creator: Unknown, Taiwan Plant form: Lax spreading shrub with very large leaves. Known only as grafted plants. Flower: Large,circular, 82 mm diameter x 38 mm petal width. Petals uniform pale pink to nearly white depending on temperature. Throat red with no nectar guides. Notes: The big leaves suggest that one parent could be A. boehmianum instead of swazicum . However, this cultivar grows vigorously, and all of my hybrids with boehmianum grow very slowly. Also, I didn't see any A. boehmianum in Taiwan when I was there in 2008. Above: A small specimen of 'Jade Lotus' grafted onto an A. "arabicum" hybrid rootstock, in a 10-inch pot. Back to Menu Above: The flower color of 'Jade Lotus' varies from white to pale pink; probably temperature-related. Above: The original seedling of 'Little Ruby' at about 15 years old. 'Little Ruby' Parentage: Adenium "obesum " x A. swazicum primary hybrid. (A. "obesum " 'Red Everbloomer' x A. swazicum 'Boyce Thompson') Creator: Dimmitt 1985 Plant form : Vigorous spreading shrub with modest caudex development in age. Nearly evergreen. Flower: Smallish, semi-star, 69 mm diameter x 27 mm petal width. Petals crimson, fading slightly toward throat. Throat deep red with no nectar guides. Blooms almost year-round. Notes: The first crossing of these two parent plants produced 'Crimson Star' and 3 other excellent red-flowered clones; the rest were various shades of pink. 'Little Ruby' is similar to 'C Star', but has more floppy stems and smaller flowers. Right: The flower of 'Little Ruby'. Back to Menu 'National Beauty' Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x A. swazicum (complex?) hybrid. (or possibly x boehmianum ) Creator: J.F. Suen, Taiwan, before 2008 Plant form: A vigorous, upright to spreading shrub with very large leaves. Known only as grafted plants. Tends to be deciduous in winter. Flower: Very large, round to nearly circular, 91 mm diameter x 40 mm petal width. Petals vary from uniform intense crimson to purple, to purplish-pink in hottest weather and with age. Throat black. Flowers throughout the warm seasons. Notes: The big leaves suggest that one parent could be A. boehmianum instead of swazicum . However, this cultivar grows vigorously, and all of my hybrids with boehmianum grow very slowly. Also, I didn't see any A. boehmianum in Taiwan when I was there in 2008. Back to Menu Above left: grafted specimen of adenium 'National Beauty', 13 years old in a 15-inch pot. Above right: A triple-grafted plant of 'National Beauty'. The four flower images show variation in the color of 'National Beauty' in different temperature conditions. The deepest colors develop during hot weather, but below about 104 degrees F (40 C). 'Pink Elegance' Parentage: Unknown; Adenium "obesum" x A. swazicum hybrid, (probably backcrossed to "obesum ") Creator: Probably Dimmitt, before 2001 Plant form: A vigorous, upright shrub with a large pseudocaudex (swollen roots). Flower: Round, 85 mm diameter x 32 mm petal width. Petals light pink with narrow dark pink margin; color fades to near-white at throat. Throat red with no nectar guides. Blooms throughout the warm months. Notes: This cv. was found in a batch of seedlings grown by Gene Joseph of Plants for the Southwest Nursery. It grows well from cuttings and soon develops the big roots of the mother plant. Above: Flowers of 'Pink Elegance' Above: A cutting-grown plant of 'Pink Elegance' in a 12-inch bulb pan. The swazicum parentage really shows in the massive roots. Back to Menu 'Rainbow' Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x A. swazicum (primary?) hybrid. Creator: Unknown, Taiwan, before 2008. Plant form: A medium-sized shrub with weak, floppy stems. Known only as grafted plants. Evergreen, lush foliage. Flower: Round, very large, 107 mm diameter x 44 mm petal width. Petals uniform brilliant crimson; throat blackish-red. Blooms in two or three flushes during the warm months. Notes: The plant needs pruning every few years to maintain a compact form. Above: A new flower of 'Rainbow' (left) and a week-old one (right). Back to Menu Above: A grafted plant of 'Rainbow' in a 14-inch pot. 'Red Ribbons' Parentage: Adenium "obesum " x A. swazicum primary hybrid: (A. "obesum " 'Red Everbloomer' x A. swazicum 'Boyce Thompson') Creator: Dimmitt 1985 Plant form : A spreading shrub with sturdy main stems, no caudex, and moderately swollen roots. Nearly evergreen. Flower: Very large, star-shaped with long, narrow petals, 110 mm diameter x 30 mm petal width. Petals deep red-pink margins, fading to light pink at the throat. Throat red with no nectar guides. Blooms almost year-round. Notes: The first crossing of these two parent plants produced 'Crimson Star' and 3 other excellent red-flowered clones; the rest were various shades of pink. 'Red Ribbons' is similar to 'C Star', but has lighter colored flowers. Above: A cutting-grown 'Red Ribbons' in an 18-inch pot. Above: Flower of 'Red Ribbons'. Back to Menu Above: A cutting-grown 'Volcanic Sunset' in an 18-inch pot. 'Volcanic Sunset' Parentage: Adenium "obesum " x A. swazicum primary hybrid: (A. "obesum " 'Red Everbloomer' x A. swazicum 'Boyce Thompson') Creator: Dimmitt 1985 Plant form : A spreading shrub with sturdy main stems, no caudex, and moderately swollen roots. Nearly evergreen. Flower: Large, star-shaped, 95 mm diameter x 25 mm petal width. Petals deep red margins, fading to light pink at the throat. Throat red with no nectar guides. Blooms almost year-round. Notes: The first crossing of these two parent plants produced 'Crimson Star' and 3 other excellent red-flowered clones; the rest were various shades of pink. 'Volcanic Sunset' is similar to 'C Star', but has larger, lighter colored flowers. Back to Menu Above: The original seedling of 'Volcanic Sunset' at 14 years old in a 22-inch pot. 'White Jade Peony' Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x A. swazicum (complex?) hybrid. Creator: Unknown, Taiwan, before 2008. Plant form: A spreading shrub with lush foliage. Known only as grafted plants. Flower: Circular, 85 mm diameter x 40 mm petal width. Petals uniform brilliant white. Throat light yellow with dark base, no nectar guides. Blooms two or three times a year. Notes: A. swazicum parentage intensifies even white flowers. Above: A small grafted plant of 'White Jade Peony' in a 10-inch pot. Back to Menu Above: The flower of 'White Jade Peony'.

Superior Cultivars of Adenium "arabicum x "obesum" 'Arabian Ruby' 'Pink Elephant' 'Bouquet' 'Prolific Behemoth' 'Crimson Tower' Above: The original seedling of 'Arabian Ruby' when it was 8 years old. 'Arabian Ruby' Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x "arabicum" primary hybrid. (A. "obesum " 'Black Ruby' x A. "arabicum " [unnamed Shada strain]) Creator: Dimmitt 1995 Plant form: Incredibly vigorous, spreading shrub with gigantic caudex and extremely swollen main stems. Stems become droopy in older specimens, and need occasional major pruning. Evergreen. Tetraploid Flower: Large, round, 97 mm diameter x 36 mm petal width. Petals medium-red, fading to light red toward the throat. Throat white with faint nectar guides. Blooms nearly year-round, but rarely profusely. Notes: This is the first arabicum-obesum hybrid , and is the most vigorous adenium clone that I've ever seen. It is the ancestor of all of my interspecific arabicum hybrids. Plants grow vigorously from cuttings and quickly develop the characteristic huge caudex. Excellent as grafting rootstock. Above: An inflorescence of adenium 'Arabian Ruby', showing the high flower count of at least 12 flowers and buds. Above: The original seedling of adenium 'Arabian Ruby', ten years old in a 42-inch pot. Above: A two-year-old cutting of 'Arabian Ruby' in a 14-inch pot. Cuttings are easy to root and grow very fast. They make excellent rootstock for grafting. Right: A 15-year-old cutting of adenium 'Arabian Ruby'in a 42-inch pot. Left: The original seedling of adenium 'Arabian Ruby', eight years old in a 42-inch pot. It's in full bloom for this cultivar. Back to Menu Above: Gene Joseph (Plants for the Southwest Nursery) demonstrates how to move a large adenium 'Arabian Ruby' (on its way from Tucson, Arizona to Singapore). It's a good idea to ask how big a cultivar can grow before you buy it! Above left: Adenium 'Bouquet', the original seedling at 6 years of age in a 14-inch pot. Right: Grafted onto 'Arabian Ruby' rootstock in a 24-inch pot; the scion is about 15 years old. 'Bouquet' Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x "arabicum") complex hybrid. (A. 'Arabian Ruby' x (A. "arabicum" 'Hansoti Dwarf') Creator: Dimmitt 2002 Plant form: Vigorous, usually upright shrub with modest caudex. Can grow to 4 x 4 feet in 5 years. Evergreen, but has a short winter resting period. Tetraploid Flower: Round, 65 mm diameter x 28 mm petal width. Petals medium red, fading to lighter red at throat. Throat white with prominent nectar guides. Inflorescence is indeterminate, producing up to 38 flowers over 3 to 4 months, with 10 or more flowers open at a time. Blooms profusely 3 to 4 times a year. Notes: Very few adenium clones have indeterminate inflorescences. The trait is very recessive, and only a small percentage of offspring inherit it. Back to Menu Above: Adenium 'Bouquet' is named not only because the inflorescences are indeterminate, but because 10 or more flowers are open at once. Above: 'Bouquet' is very floriferous. 'Crimson Tower' (MAD403) Parentage: Adenium ("obesum" x "arabicum") complex hybrid. ('Arabian Ruby' x (a second generation obesum-arabicum hybrid )) Creator: Dimmitt 2004 Plant form: Vigorous, erect, arborescent shrub with substantial caudex and swollen main stems. Can grow to 5 feet tall by 3 feet wide in 5 years. Evergreen or deciduous if dried out in winter; in either case it has a short winter resting period. Tetraploid. Flower: Round, 85 mm diameter x 31 mm petal width. Petals deep red, with almost no fading toward throat. Throat light yellow with prominent nectar guides. Blooms profusely for 2 to 3 months in spring, rarely at other times. Notes: Left to grow naturally, this clone branches freely and becomes a tall, fairly narrow shrub. It can easily be pruned into a tree that can reach more than 6 feet tall in 10 years. Cuttings are as vigorous and caudiciform as the mother plant; no need to graft. Left: The bright red flower of 'Crimson Tower'. Back to Menu Above: The original seedling of adenium 'Crimson Tower' at 5 years old. It has never been pruned. Left: An 8-year-old cutting of 'Crimson Tower'. The ruler is 12 inches/30 cm. This clone has a naturally arborescent form. It can be pruned to produce a bush. Left: The original seedling of adenium 'Pink Elephant' at 8 years of age. This photo fails to provide scale. See the closeup of the caudex with ruler to see how big it is (6 feet tall in a 16-inch pot. 'Pink Elephant' (MAD923) Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x "arabicum") complex hybrid. (A. "obesum' 'Red Henny 4n' x 'Prolific Behemoth') Creator: Dimmitt 2012 Plant form: Vigorous, upright shrub with large caudex. Can grow to 5 feet tall by 4 feet wide in 5 years. Evergreen and capable of growing year-round in tropical conditions. Tetraploid. Flower: Large, round, 94 mm diameter x 40 mm petal width. Outer half of petals deep pink to medium-red depending on temperature, fading to pale pink near throat. Throat yellow with prominent red nectar guides. Flowers age to pink. Blooms several times a year. Notes: This cultivar roots readily from cuttings and grows fast. Above: Closeup of the caudex of 'Pink Elephant' at 8 years of age. Left: The big flowers of adenium 'Pink Elephant' bloom year-round. Back to Menu 'Prolific Behemoth' (MAD432) Parentage: Adenium "obesum" x "arabicum") complex hybrid. ('Arabian Ruby' x (a second generation obesum-arabicum hybrid ) Creator: Dimmitt 2004 Plant form: Vigorous, erect, arborescent shrub with substantial caudex and swollen main stems. Can grow to 5 feet tall by 3 feet wide in 5 years. Evergreen or deciduous if dried out in winter; in either case it has a short winter resting period. Tetraploid. Flower: Large, round, 93 mm diameter x 32 mm petal width. Petals uniformly medium-red to bright pink depending on weather, fading somewhat toward the throat. Throat light yellow with prominent nectar guides. Blooms profusely throughout the warm months. The inflorescences are indeterminate with 30+ flowers. Notes: Above: The original seedling of adenium 'Prolific Behemoth' at 16 years of age. It's over 6 feet tall in a 16-inch pot. Above: The seedling of adenium 'Prolific Behemoth' showed promise when it was 4 years old. Above: Adenium 'Prolific Behemoth' is another rare clone with indeterminate inflorescences. They produce more than 30 flowers over a span of 2 to 3 months. Back to Menu

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 A. coetanum? 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. 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

Back To Gallery Cultivars of Adenium oleifolium None? I don't know of any selected cultivars of this species that are important to adenium horticulture. If you know of any, please submit photos and a description using this form . Due credit will be given.