Zygosicyos tripartitus is a wonderful and strange-looking caudiciform.  It belongs to the Cucurbitaceae a family of plants, including the well known pumpkin, the watermelon and the melon.

Description: Endangered Madagascan caudiciform plant, with creeper vines characterized by tendrils.
Caudex: Spherical, up to 30 centimeters thick. During the growing season the caudex plumps and fills out, in contrast to its shrunken appearance in the Spring.
Stems: Produces green vines which stay leafy at least in mild areas.  The vine can scramble into a ruffled shrub, the vines are about 1 m long.
Leaves: Tiny, grey-green to green.  Semideciduous, they may look quite spindly in spring when the plants emerge from dormancy
Flower: About 4-6 mm across, green-yellow, and not very large or significant
 

Scientific name:  Zygosicyos Tripartitus Humbert
PUBLISHED IN: Bulletin de la Société Botanique de France 91: 168–170, t. 2(1–9). 1944.
TYPE: “vallée de la Vavara, affluent de la Manambolo (bassin du Mandrare),… 700–800 m; vallée moyenne du Mandrare près d'Anadabolava; 200 m.” Humbert 6746 (male); 12586 (female) (syntype: herb. non desig.) Keraudren (1966) cites holotype: Humbert 6746.

Origin:  Endemic to Madagascar.

Habitat: Mountain slopes.

Etymology: Zygosicyos comes from the Greek "zygos" (yoked, joined) and "sicyos" (cucumber)

Cultivation: This plant can take a good deal of water during active growth, and should be watered only when not dormant.  Keep dryish in winter. This plant should be over-wintered in the greenhouse at temperatures over 12°C (avoid letting temperatures drop lower than 5° C).  Use a very draining but rich soil, and not too much sun.  Errors in cultivation may produce unsightly holes in the tuber.

Reproduction: Can be reproduced both by cuttings and seeds.  Cuttings don't normally grow caudexes (but sometimes do!)