Impala Lily (Adenium multiflorum)

Impala Lily (Adenium multiflorum) family Apocynaceae

Adeniums, which all have poisonous sap, produce flowers in striking reds, pinks and mauves; red-and-white bicoloured flowers are fairly common. They are interesting caudiciform plants and make ideal container subjects. Known to occur in more arid regions, adeniums are sensitive to frost and waterlogged soils. The plants are usually deciduous during winter or the dry season. South African species of Adenium do well in warmer gardens and their rather handsome flowers make them an attractive addition to a garden.

 Adenium is a small genus of succulent shrubs that produces swollen stems, often with peculiar forms. When the starry flowers appear in masses, the appearance of the plant is completely transformed. The genus exhibits a great deal of natural variation in the form of the stems, form and colour of the flowers, and overall size. Over the past 20 years, adeniums have been grown by several breeders world-wide, selecting superior variations and producing a large range of cultivars. Adenium is closely related to Pachypodium but is distinguished by the absence of stipules at the base of the leaves which develop into long rigid spines. The genus is not to be confused with Adenia (Passifloraceae, granadilla family) which also has caudiciform stems or rootstocks, but they are green and the stems are usually twining.

 Description
Adenium This is a genus of deciduous succulent shrublets, shrubs or small trees. The smooth, fleshy, swollen stems are sometimes entirely subterranean with only fleshy branches above ground. The plants have tubers or rootstocks and usually clear sap. The striking, showy flowers are carried in few-flowered clusters at the tips of branches and range from white, pink, red to purple and white edged crimson. Leaves are alternate or in simple spirals, often in terminal clusters, and are sessile or have short stalks. The corolla is funnel- or cup-shaped, with a cylindrical tube. The part of the fruit (mericarp) that contains the seeds is long and thin (follicular) and opens by a simple opening. Seeds are light brown, with a deciduous tuft of hairs at each end. Plants are slow-growing, but long-lived and are easily grown from seed or cuttings. The various species flower at different times of the year.

 Economic and cultural value
All species have very striking, decorative flowers and make good subjects for rock gardens or containers in warmer climates. They have been horticulturally developed by numerous growers world-wide and many cultivars are available.


The sap of Adenium boehmianum is very bitter and it is the only species used by the Heikom Bushmen of Namibia to poison their arrows for hunting game. The poison is extracted in winter after the plants have flowered. The tuber is dug up and the sap extracted through pressure or by heating the thicker branches and roots over a fire until the sap exudes. It is boiled to condense it to a light brown, thick syrup, cooled and applied to the arrow point just behind the tip. The latex is usually the sole ingredient in this arrow poison. The concentrated latex has been reported to be an item of trade. Large antelope usually die within 100 m from where they have been shot while springbok usually succumb within an hour. The latex of various Euphorbia species is sometimes added to make the poison even more potent. The common name ouzuwo is the Herero word for poison.

Adenium multiflorum is used as a fish, arrow and magical poison in Mozambique and South Africa. Poison is prepared from the bark and fleshy parts of the trunk, but always in combination with poisons from other plants. The stem and roots are reported to contain more than 30 cardiac glycosides. It is poisonous to cattle but they seldom eat the plants. The flowers make interesting compositions in flower arrangements in a vase but they are not good florist flowers as they do not travel well even though they belong to the same family as the long-lasting frangipani. This species is ideal for a hot sunny veranda.


Pounded fleshy leaves of Adenium oleifolium are used by the San to make an ointment for relief of snakebites and scorpion stings. A tea made from the root is used as a tonic and for treating fever. The sap is used as an arrow poison in southern Namibia.


Information supplied by: http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantab/adenium.htm