Adenium

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Gentianales

Familia: Apocynaceae
Subfamilia: Apocynoideae
Tribus: Nerieae
Subtribus: Neriinae
Genus: Adenium
Overview of species

A. boehmianum – A. dhofarense – A. multiflorum – A. obesum – A. oleifolium – A. swazicum
Species: A. boehmianum - A. multiflorum - A. obesum - A. oleifolium -

Source(s) of checklist:

Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Adenium in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Nov 23. Reference page.

Name

Adenium Roem. & Schult. (1819).

Typus: A. obesum
(Forssk.) Roem. & Schult.

Synonyms

Homotypic
Adenum G.Don, Gen. Hist. 4: 80 (1837) orth. var.
Idaneum Post & Kuntze, Lex. 296. 1903, nom. illeg. & nom. superfl.

References
Primary references

Roemer, J.J. & Schultes, J.A. 1819. Syst. Veg. 4: 35, 411.

Links

Hassler, M. 2018. Adenium. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2018. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Sep 25. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2018. Adenium in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Sep 25. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2018. Adenium. Published online. Accessed: Sep 25 2018.
The Plant List 2013. Adenium in The Plant List Version 1.1. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Sep 25.
Tropicos.org 2018. Adenium. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Sep 25.
Farr, E.R. & Zijlstra, G. (eds.) 1996 onwards. Adenium in Index Nominum Genericorum (Plantarum). Accessed: 2009 Aug 24.

Vernacular names
English: desert rose
français: Rose du désert
Nederlands: Woestijnroos
português: Rosa-do-deserto
ไทย: ชวนชม
Tiếng Việt: Sứ sa mạc

Adenium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1819. It is native to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.[3]

Cultivation and uses
Adenium in Thailand

Adenium obesum is grown as a houseplant in temperate regions. Numerous hybrids have been developed. Adeniums are appreciated for their colorful flowers, but also for their unusual, thick caudices. They can be grown for many years in a pot and are commonly used for bonsai.
One of the paired, follicular fruit of an Adenium species, dehiscing to release seeds equipped with a double pappus (i.e. tuft of hairs at each end) for wind-dispersal

Because seed-grown plants are not genetically identical to the mother plant, desirable varieties are commonly propagated by grafting. Genetically identical plants can also be propagated by cutting. However, cutting-grown plants do not tend to develop a desirable thick caudex as quickly as seed-grown plants.

The sap of Adenium boehmianum, A. multiflorum, and A. obesum contains toxic cardiac glycosides and is used as arrow poison throughout Africa for hunting large game.[4]
Classification

The genus Adenium has been held to contain as many as twelve species. These are considered by other authors to be subspecies or varieties. A late-20th-century classification by Plazier recognizes five species.[5]

Species[3]

Adenium arabicum Balf.f. = Adenium obesum
Adenium boehmianum Schinz - (Namibia, Angola)
Adenium multiflorum Klotzsch. (Southern Africa, from Zambia south)
Adenium obesum (Forssk.) Roem. & Schult. - widespread from Senegal to Somalia, and also Arabian Peninsula
Adenium oleifolium Stapf - South Africa, Botswana, Namibia
Adenium swazicum Stapf (Eastern South Africa)[5][6]

Formerly placed here

Pachypodium namaquanum (Wyley ex Harv.) Welw. (as A. namaquanum Wyley ex Harv.)[6]

Common names

Adenium obesum is also known as the desert rose. In the Philippines, due to its resemblance to the related genus Plumeria, and the fact that it was introduced to the Philippines from Bangkok, Thailand, the plant is also called as Bangkok kalachuchi.

Due to its resemblance to a miniature frangipani tree and its popularity in bonsai, it is also sometimes known as Japanese frangipani.

References

"Genus: Adenium Roem. & Schult". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2003-03-14. Archived from the original on 2012-10-06. Retrieved 2010-06-26.
"World Checklist of Selected Plant Species".
Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
Schmelzer, G.H.; A. Gurib-Fakim (2008). Medicinal Plants. Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. pp. 43–49. ISBN 978-90-5782-204-9.
Stoffel Petrus Bester (June 2004). "Adenium multiflorum Klotzsch". South African National Biodiversity Institute's plant information website.
"GRIN Species Records of Adenium". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2010-06-26.