Adenium obesum

Life-forms

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
Species: Adenium obesum
Name

Adenium obesum (Forssk.) Roem. & Schult., 1819.
Synonyms

Basionym
Nerium obesum Forssk., Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 205 (1775).
Homotypic
Cameraria obesa (Forssk.) Spreng., Syst. Veg. 1: 641 (1824).
Heterotypic
Adenium honghel Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. 32: t. 54 (1846).
Adenium speciosum Fenzl, Sitzungsber. Kaiserl. Akad. Wiss., Math.-Naturwiss. Cl., Abt. 1, 51(2): 140 (1865).
Adenium arabicum Balf.f., Bot. Socotra: 162 (1888).
Adenium somalense Balf.f., Bot. Socotra: 162 (1888).
Adenium micranthum Stapf, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1894: 334 (1894).
Adenium arboreum Ehrenb., Symb. Phys., Bot.: t. 4 (1900).
Adenium coetaneum Stapf in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 4(1): 277 (1902).
Adenium socotranum Vierh., Oesterr. Bot. Z. 54: 286 (1904).
Adenium somalense var. caudatipetalum Chiov., Fl. Somala 2: 288 (1932).
Adenium somalense var. crispum Chiov., Fl. Somala 2: 288 (1932).
Adenium tricholepis Chiov., Fl. Somala 2: 288 (1932).
Adenium obesum subsp. socotranum (Vierh.) Lavranos, Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles) 38: 23 (1966).
Adenium obesum subsp. somalense (Balf.f.) G.D.Rowley, Repert. Pl. Succ. 29: 3 (1978 publ. 1980).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Africa
W. Trop. Africa to Arabian Pen. and Tanzania

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References

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

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2018. Adenium obesum in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2018 Sep 25. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2018. Adenium obesum. Published online. Accessed: Sep 25 2018.
The Plant List 2013. Adenium obesum in The Plant List Version 1.1. Published online. Accessed: 2018 Sep 25.
Tropicos.org 2018. Adenium obesum. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 25 Sep 2018.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Adenium obesum in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 07-Oct-06.

Vernacular names
English: Desert rose
suomi: Adenium
עברית: אדניום נפוח / אדונית המדבר / ורד המדבר
hts: Panju
српски / srpski: Пустињска ружа / Pustinjska ruža

Adenium obesum obesum

Adenium obesum is a poisonous species of flowering plant belonging to the tribe Nerieae of the subfamily Apocynoideae of the dogbane family, Apocynaceae.[3] It is native to the Sahel regions south of the Sahara (from Mauritania and Senegal to Sudan), tropical and subtropical eastern and southern Africa and also the Arabian Peninsula. Common names include Sabi star, kudu, mock azalea, impala lily and desert rose. Adenium obesum is a popular houseplant and bonsai in temperate regions.

Description

It is an evergreen or drought-deciduous succulent shrub (which can also lose its leaves during cold spells, or according to the subspecies or cultivar). It can grow to 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) in height, with pachycaul stems and a stout, swollen basal caudex. The leaves are spirally arranged, clustered toward the tips of the shoots, simple entire, leathery in texture, 5–15 cm (2.0–5.9 in) long and 1–8 cm (0.39–3.15 in) broad. The flowers are tubular, 2–5 cm (0.79–1.97 in) long, with the outer portion 4–6 cm (1.6–2.4 in) diameter with five petals, resembling those of other related genera such as Plumeria and Nerium. The flowers tend to red and pink, often with a whitish blush outward of the throat.
Flowers and leaves, Thailand
Paired, follicular fruits on cultivated specimen, Bengal
Single, dehiscent fruit showing seeds equipped with double pappus (tuft of hairs at both ends)
Single seed 1 cm (0.39 in) long with pappus
Seed 1 cm (0.39 in) long, stripped of the double pappus which allows wind-dispersal
Seedling, 18 days old, 3.3 cm (1.3 in)
Taxonomy

Some taxonomies consider some other species in the genus to be subspecies of Adenium obesum.
Subspecies

Adenium obesum subsp. oleifolium (South Africa, Botswana)
Adenium obesum subsp. socotranum (Socotra)
Adenium obesum subsp. somalense (Eastern Africa)
Adenium obesum subsp. swazicum (Eswatini, South Africa)

Adenium swazicum is an African species native to Eswatini and Mozambique.
Ecology

Caterpillars of the polka-dot wasp moth (Syntomeida epilais) are known to feed on the desert rose, along with feeding on oleanders.[4]

In areas with year round warm weather, they can bloom throughout the year. [5]
Uses

Adenium obesum produces a sap in its roots and stems that contains cardiac glycosides. This sap is used as arrow poison for hunting large game throughout much of Africa[6] and as a fish toxin.[7]
Cultivation

Adenium obesum is a popular houseplant and bonsai[8] in temperate regions. It requires a sunny location and a minimum indoor temperature in winter of 10 °C (50 °F). It thrives on a xeric watering regime as required by cacti. A. obesum is typically propagated by seed or stem cuttings. The numerous hybrids are propagated mainly by grafting on to seedling rootstock. While plants grown from seed are more likely to have the swollen caudex at a young age, with time many cutting-grown plants cannot be distinguished from seed-grown plants. Like many plants, Adenium obesum can also be propagated in vitro using plant tissue culture.[9]

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[10]
Symbolic and cultural references

The species has been depicted on postage stamps issued by various countries.[11]
See also

List of poisonous plants

References

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI).; IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group (2019). "Adenium obesum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T62541A149059021. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T62541A149059021.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
"Adenium obesum". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2010-09-30.
Schoch, C.L.; et al. (2020). ""Adenium obesum", NCBI Taxonomy: a comprehensive update on curation, resources and tools". National Center for Biotechnology Information. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17. Retrieved 27 Aug 2021.
"Oleander caterpillar (Syntomeida epilais)" (PDF). UF/IFAS. August 2006. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
"Is Adenium Obesum Poisonous to Dogs?". Home Guides | SF Gate. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
Schmelzer, G.H.; A. Gurib-Fakim (2008). Medicinal Plants. Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. pp. 46–49. ISBN 978-90-5782-204-9.
John 'Lofty' Wiseman SAS Survival Handbook, Revised Edition p. 240; William Morrow Paperbacks (2009) ISBN 978-1875900060
D'Cruz, Mark. "Ma-Ke Bonsai Care Guide for Adenium obesum". Ma-Ke Bonsai. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
Kanchanapoom, Kantamaht; Sunheem, Sunisa; Kanchanapoom, Kamnoon (5 December 2010). "In vitro Propagation of Adenium obesum (Forssk.) Roem. and Schult". Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca. 38 (3): 209–213. doi:10.15835/nbha3834604 (inactive 28 February 2022). ISSN 1842-4309. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
"RHS Plant Selector - Adenium obesum". Retrieved 23 February 2020.
"Adenium obesum". StampData. Retrieved 24 March 2020.