Hi Xuan,
Those are tubers. They form at the leaf joints and can be removed and rooted to start a new plant.

Elsie

Hi Xuan,

What a great picture, wish we could put it in the dictionary, under:

Tuber, the reproductive organ of Ceropegias (String of Pearls).

It looks so perfectly round & its texture reminds me of a canteloupe (an American melon, if you don't have such in your part the World).

The same way that to plant a potato, one doesn't use seed, but rather a chunk of the potato, one plants this, to get the Ceropegia. They will also make seed pods, but this is what's commonly used to make more of the plant.

Here, Ceropegias are common grown potted with their foliage hanging down & one see these little "balls" growing along their 'strings'. To "plant" it, one would take that tuber & put it into the mix, pushing it about 1/2 way or 2/3 of the way down in the mix, so that you can still see the top of the ball. New vines will grow from the tuber.

The Tuber (or Corm) is sort of its bulb, this is a way to reproduce the plant. Eventually over time, the tuber grows bigger & bigger & takes over the pot.

A few years ago, I gave some of this plant to my sister, who grows it from a high shelf inside her shower stall. I warned that when the vines developed these little balls, that they were its mode of reproduction, so she wouldn't be nervous that it was a bug or insect & freak out & cut it off or spray w/ insecticide OR even toss the plants!

So that's the answer!

For an extra special adventure & more info. about Ceropegias, if you like them, please search for "the Ceropegia Journal" by my friend & fellow artist (& Ceropegia Master), Sage Reynolds. These are his plants, his photography & his site, all of which he has designed himself. A talented man & kind & generous friend. Enjoy!

Thank you, elsier and pirate girl.
Yours is a very detailed and interesting explanation, pirate girl. So now I can start more of these plants by using these tubers.

Xuan

Hi Xuan,

You're welcome, glad to help.

I hope you DO take a look at the Ceropegia Journal. This is a strange & fascinating group of plants (they're also cousins of Hoyas, which I know you grow). They have weird & wonderful flowers, some of which are beautifully shown in the Journal, they look like creatures from another planet.

Pirate_girl, I must thank you for sending me to the Ceropegia Journal. That is the most interesting site I've been to in a while. Aside from the plants, the photos, art, and metal work is astounding. I even tried some of the recepies. I found it to be a fantastic place worth everyone's time to visit.
Thanks again.
Eileen

Hi Ima,

I'm so very glad you liked it so, that's EXACTLY why I posted it. It's a remarkable site by a VERY talented fellow w/whom I happen to be friends. We met at C&S Society many yrs. ago (10+), we tend to go to Dr. Barad's annual open house together in Summer (Dr. Jerry Barad of Stapeliad fame).

Currently, the only other Ceropegia I have is C. sandersonii (also from Sage), which does well in my apmt, tho' has never bloomed yet.

I'm even fortunate enough that Sage photographed some of my quilts last fall so I could start building an online presence of my Quiltwork (pls. search for "karenthequilter" (no spaces)) & I'm told it comes up in the first 3-4 entries.

Xuan, I urge you to check this out, if you like Ceropegia, given you live in more tropical areas, you can probably grow a bunch of different varities of Ceropegia if you can get them.

Pirate_girl, I just got carried away by your explanation that I didn't remember to check out the link you provided, but I sure will, right after replying this.
Many thanks.

Xuan