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  Cyphostemma elephantopus CACTUS ART
NURSERY

Cultivation and Mail Sale
of Cacti and Succulents.


Cyphostemma
elephantopus
 
One of the most spectacular of the genus with both a discoid tuber and pachycaul stem with age.
Fanciers of succulent plants consider cyphostemmas to be eminently desirable
 

Cultivation: Grows in any rich, very well-drained, preferably stony soil with some water and lots of sun throughout the year. It is suited to greenhouse culture but does well out of doors in a Mediterranean climate. It doesn't like  wet winter but will survive. Water plentifully in summer but Keep rather dry in winter at a minimum of 12°C. Mature plants are hardy to 2C. Avoid any freezing temperatures.  Exposure: light shade.
For soil in full sun throughout the year.

Propagation: Propagate usually from seeds that must be prepared, aged and scarified (and even then germination is uncertain), or by cuttings.

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Family: Vitaceae (Ampelidaceae)

Scientific name:  Cyphostemma elephantopus Descoings 1963

Origin: Madagascar (Toliara)

Common Name Elephant-foot Grape Tree


C. elephantopus  in winter without leaves.

 

Description: Weird but ornamental herbaceous perennial caudiciform vine, with massive, above-ground flask-like caudex with a tapering shape, a bit like an elephant’s tusk.
Caudex: This species has a very broad, fat, underground root system. This complex root system gradually tapers into a thickened, conical or disc-shaped caudex that can grow up to 60/200cm across. The caudex is woody, smooth, dark brown with concentric rings and looks like a big brown rock. In habitat this underground storage organ can attain surprisingly large dimensions with a water reservoir capacity up to 100-200 (or more) litres.
Stem (vines): The rambling vines are succulent and reach about the height of two meters in cultivation (but in habitat they can reach the length of more than 20 m.)
Leaves: Fleshy, serrated (tri-lobed) and deciduous.
Flower: Yellowish-green to glaucous green in a loose inflorescence.
 

 


 

Photo gallery: Alphabetical listing of Cactus and Succulent pictures published in this site.

Photo gallery CYPHOSTEMMA

Home | E-mail | Plant files | Mail Sale Catalogue | Links | Information | Search

All the information and photos in cactus art files are now available also in the new the Encyclopaedia of Succulents. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.