These plants are found in tropical and southern Africa. Their fleshy stems may be leafy or without leaves. The twining species are pretty plants with tuberous roots. The flowers are strangely shaped, resembling lanterns, and are of various designs and colourings.
Ceropegia juncea. A fast-growing climber, its leaves are small, scale-like, arranged in pairs, and stand straight out from the stem. The flowers are green, with purplish-brown spots, and grow together at the top.
Ceropegia stapeliaeformis. Cape Province. The stems, about -J inch thick, are dull green, marbled with dark green, brown, and white. The flowers are very delicate in form and colour, and are erect, appearing in groups, and blooming for several days; the corolla is about 2 inches long and not joined together at the top, the tips turning outwards, and is dark brown with white inside. The young branches are thin and twiny, with barely visible leaves.
Ceropegia Woodii. A pretty plant and very attractive when climbing on a miniature trellis. The stems are slender, forming small tubers at the nodes, the leaves stalked and heart-shaped, dark green marbled with white. Flower, pinky-brown.