This African species has a very wide distribution, from Guinea all the way to Madagascar. Patrick Blanc photographed it in 1991 on Mount Cameroon, in a very humid environment, and in 2019 David Scherberich found it in Madagascar near Ranomafana National Park, in a damp ditch on a pile of rocks. Note that the two populations are quite different morphologically.
Description
This species, with strong, upright, succulent stems, can reach 50 to 70 cm. The leaves are irregularly lobed, dark green to brown in the African plants, and more deeply lobed and a brighter green in the Malagasy ones; the blade is slightly hairy, the margin irregularly toothed, and the 5 main veins are palmate. The inflorescences are clusters of 3 to 4 flowers, pink veined with red in the African form and white in the Malagasy form; male and female flowers each have 2 tepals. The spindle-shaped ovary is striped with red in Africa and light green in Madagascar; when ripe it swells like a berry, attracting birds that spread its seeds – hence its wide distribution.
Propagation
From seed it is very prolific, as each berry contains a large quantity of seeds. Stems that touch the ground root easily. You can also try stem cuttings in sand, taking care with humidity to avoid rot.
Culture
It does well in a warm, humid environment, planted in the ground or as an epiphyte, and has been successfully tested outdoors in full sun (well watered), where it flowered and set fruit. It is a fairly easy species once established.
