EHKO HERPS

A rare encounter with a local specialist: Ceropegia europaea var. judaica. (Also known as Apteranthes... or Caralluma... it's kind of a touchy subject...)

​This member of the Apocynaceae (dogbane) family is a master of camouflage until those striking, striped flowers emerge. These beautiful, psychedelic flowers are contrasted by it's foul carion scent. Finding a healthy population of this rare plant in a new, undocumented locality is a significant win for local biodiversity records.

​Those long, horn-like pods you see are its seed follicles, ready to catch the wind. Truly a privilege to document this population so close to home.

Its worth checking out the other varieties to see how they differ 😉

Phenology notes:

First observed on 6/4/26 fruiting, no flowers present (figures 3,4,5)

Observed again on 28/4/26 still in fruit but also blooming after heavy rains (figures 1,2)

For more info check out

https://flora.org.il/en/plants/careur/

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Lola out and about😃