Rare caudex succulent of the genus Raphionacme
- Description Of The Genus Raphionacme And Features Of The Plant.
- How To Care For A Raphionacme Succulent At Home.
- How To Propagate Raphionacme.
- Popular Types Of Raphionacme.
This article will focus on African caudex succulents of the genus Raphionacme. This exotic plant is rarely seen among succulent cultures lovers, but in the circles of exotic connoisseurs, this plant is especially valued. We have collected as much information about Raphionakme as possible and want to tell you about its features and how to grow these succulents at home.
Description of the genus Raphionacme and features of the plant
The genus Raphionacme includes 36 species and belongs to the Asclepiadaceae family. The succulent can be found throughout most of Africa, from the Sahara Desert in the north to South Africa in the south, and one species grows in the Arabian Peninsula. However, there are not so many plants in the wild. Many species are considered extinct. Raphionacme was first described by William Harvey in 1842. The genus name comes from the Greek words "rhaphys" (beetroot) and "akme" (sharpness) and was presumably derived from the taste of the tuberous roots.
The habitat of Raphionacme is extremely diverse: the plants can grow in forests or in rock crevices, in open dry areas, in alkaline or ferruginous soils, lowland meadows and savannahs, depending on the species.
Members of the genus are perennial herbaceous plants or shrubs that survive in harsh conditions due to the presence of underground tubers (caudex). In some species, the caudex can be huge: for example, in R. velutina, its diameter reaches more than 30 centimeters! Many types of Raphionacme produce white or colorless latex. The species most in demand among lovers of ornamental plants are herbaceous species.
Raphionacme stems usually grow in erect tufts extending from the top of the caudex. They may be cylindrical or flattened, hairy or comb-like, often unbranched, and some species are vines.
The leaves may be alternate or opposite, and their shape is usually elliptical. They are usually bright green, and in some species the lower pair is reduced to scales.
Raphionacme flowers are mostly five-petalled, star-shaped. The petals of the flower are fused into a tubular corolla, which can be of different shades: from green to pale yellow and bright pink. The petals themselves come in different colors: from dark purple to pale green.
After flowering, fruits are formed, called follicles, containing two or more seeds. Members of the genus Raphionacme usually have fusiform follicles capable of opening at maturity to disperse their seeds.
It is worth knowing that different types of succulents grow in different hemispheres of the Earth and their vegetating season is different. There are summer and winter plants in which the vegetating season begins either in spring or autumn.
Useful properties of Raphionacme succulents
Some species of the genus Raphionacme are widely used for both medical and food purposes. In many species, large tubers (eg R. splendens) are edible, especially those rich in carbohydrates and poor in proteins. Another species, called R. velutina, uses the caudex as a source of water during the dry months. Decoctions obtained from the leaves are used as eye drops to treat conjunctivitis.
How to care for a Raphionacme succulent at home
This relatively small plant can be grown in a pot without any problems, as it adapts well to any conditions. Its caudiform root structure develops in unpredictable ways, making each plant different, each one unique in its own way. Let’s describe the growing conditions of this plant.
Soil Requirements
The best soil for Raphionacme is well drained, breathable soil. Prepare a rich soil mixture for the plant, which should consist of inorganic materials such as clay, pumice, lava sand and fertile soil in a 50/50 ratio.
Lighting
Raphionacme needs plenty of light throughout the year; but avoid direct sunlight, especially during the hottest hours of the day, as it can burn the leaves. Experienced growers usually keep the succulent pot in partial shade with the caudex fully or partially open to prevent root rot.
Temperature
It is preferable to grow Raphionacme at moderate temperatures. In winter, it is advisable to provide the plant with room with a temperature above 12°C (avoid temperatures below 5°C). Although some experts claim that the succulent can withstand light frosts down to -7°C for short periods of time if it is in very dry soil without moisture.
Watering
Humidification will depend on the origin of the species: summer plants should be watered regularly in the summer and before each watering, always waiting for the soil to dry.
Water more sparingly in autumn and keep completely dry in winter. Winter species, on the contrary, need to be watered in winter and kept dry in summer. To know if your Raphionacme is a summer or winter plant, simply watch the stems dry up and then sprout again: if they sprout in the spring, your plant is a summer plant.
Fertilizing
Raphionacme, growing in a well-prepared substrate, does not need frequent fertilizing, it is enough to use a granular fertilizer once a year.
Pruning
When the plant enters dormancy, the stems dry out and can be removed to maintain a tidy appearance.
It is also worth removing dried leaves.
Replanting
This procedure should not be performed frequently, as Raphionacme is a slow growing crop. Transplantation should be carried out when the caudex already outgrows its pot. When choosing a new container, consider the size of the tubers. During replanting, it is desirable to expose the caudex gradually so that most of it is above the soil surface.
How to propagate Raphionacme
There are two methods of propagation – with seeds or cuttings.
Seed method
Seeds are sown in a plastic container with a porous mineral substrate or perlite. Large seeds must be covered with soil, small ones should remain on the surface. The soil must be well moistened. The container must be closed so that a humid microclimate is maintained in it until the seeds emerge.
It is advisable to place a container with seeds on a windowsill or in a small greenhouse in partial shade. When the first shoots appear, the cover can be removed.
Cuttings
Succulent lends itself perfectly to propagation by cuttings. Cut off a few tops of the shoots when the plants have begun active growth and leave them for a day in a dry place. Prepare the soil mixture described above and stick the cuttings in a container with moist soil. Water the soil without allowing it to dry out completely. Once the cuttings are rooted, they can be transplanted into a permanent pot.
Popular types of Raphionacme
Although representatives of this genus are quite rare in domestic nurseries, some of them can still be purchased from experienced flower growers or on the Internet. Let's describe them.
Raphionacme procumbens
The plant is a perennial caudiform form of a plant with herbaceous creeping annual pubescent stems up to 40 cm long, arising from a swollen underground spherical caudex up to 15 cm in diameter.
The leaves are opposite, located at frequent intervals, ovate, shaggy-hairy. Deciduous flowers are small, star-shaped, green with purple tripartite outer corolla lobes in the center, born in dense terminal globular heads.
Raphionacme lanceolata
This species is found in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania and other countries. Succulents grow in well-drained soil with little water and little sun.
Caudex can grow up to twelve centimeters, the whole plant up to 55 centimeters. The flowers are light greenish over yellow to orange.
Hairy Raphionacme (Raphionacme hirsuta)
This is a perennial caudex plant with herbaceous annual spreading stems about 30 cm long, growing from a caudex of variable shape up to 25 cm in diameter. The aerial part seems quite small compared to the root tuber. The leaves are opposite, oval, almost glabrous.
The flowers are pink to purple, 10-15 mm in diameter, with serrated crown-lobes, appearing at the tips of branches in inflorescences. The purple color of the petals is exceptional for this genus.
Raphionacme zeyheri
A perennial geophyte with a swollen caudex base. Tuber up to 25 cm tall. The branches reach 15 cm in height from the stiff neck of the caudex.
The leaves are simple, arranged alternately along the stems, 2-4 cm long, 5 mm wide. The flowers are tiny, pale green, finely pubescent on all parts of the corolla.
