肉珊瑚属 rou shan hu shu

Lianas, trailing or twining, rarely ± erect, succulent, base woody. Leaves reduced to minute scales, soon lost. Cymes umbel-like, sessile, terminal or extra-axillary. Calyx with or without 5 basal glands. Corolla rotate or nearly so, deeply lobed; lobes overlapping to right. Corona double: outer corona inserted at junction of corolla tube and gynostegium, ringlike or cupular, membranous, 5-angled, truncate or shallowly lobed; inner corona lobes 5, inserted at base of gynostegium, fleshy, basally dilated, 2-keeled inside. Anther appendages membranous; pollinia 2 per pollinarium, waxy, pendulous, caudicle slender. Stigma head short conical or oblong-fusiform. Follicles thick, smooth.

At least ten species: Africa, tropical Asia, Australia; one species in China.

Lower Taxon

• Sarcostemma acidum (Roxburgh) Voigt