365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Ceropegia Woodii
Day 33: Otherwise known as "Rosary Vine," the flowers which precede Ceropegia woodii's characteristic "beads" are fascinatingly unique. At roughly 3/4" long, the reproductive structures are concealed within a rounded base which narrows abruptly into a tube capped with five fuzzy purple incurved petals joined at the tips. In the wild, pollination is carried out by tiny flies which are prevented from escaping the tube by fine, downward-pointing hairs; in cultivation, it may require a human assist from a second plant. Fertile seed pods developing on Ceropegia in the home are rare. That said, this Ceropegia is not limited to a single reproductive strategy. It also forms knob-like tubers (the "beads of the rosary") at its leaf axils. When these grow to sufficient size, their weight breaks the stem and drops to the ground (if it doesn't get caught in the tangled vine!). Once in contact with moist soil, the tuber puts out roots and a new plant is established.
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