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Boucerosia frerei is a small, fleshy succulent from the Dogbane family, native to a few cliff crevices in Maharashtra, India, and grown by collectors as a greenhouse plant. Key to growing it is bright light, very sparing water, and a fast-draining mix, since it drops its leaves in dry periods and relies on its stems.
Boucerosia frerei is a plant in the genus Boucerosia which contains several species many of which are native to the Indian subcontinent and one species, Boucerosia crenulata, native to Myanmar. B. frerei has many local names, including shindel makudi, shindal makadi, makadshingi and sindhad makad - names also given to Caralluma adscendens. In Purandhar it is called potdukhi. In 2019, a new name Shiv Suman was coined by a group of botanical organisations to honour Shivaji. B. frerei is a small succulent endemic to the forest area in the Western Ghats and Deccan Plateau in Maharashtra state in India. It is also grown as a greenhouse plant by succulent plant enthusiasts. At one time, it was on the IUCN list of the twelve most endangered species on earth, but conservation efforts have brought it back from the brink of extinction.
Boucerosia frerei is known only in six areas in Maharashtra state in west India, growing at elevations between 750 and 1,347 m (2,461 and 4,419 ft), preferring crevices on cliffs. There are only a few plants in each of the six populations.
Boucerosia frerei is a distinctive greenhouse plant in temperate climates, and is grown by succulent plant collectors. There are several hybrids between B. frerei and other stapeliad species. The stems and fresh shoots of B. frerei are eaten by locals. The leaves have been applied to wounds and the plant used to promote hair growth.
Caralluma adscendens · Ceropegia dichotoma · Ceropegia fusca · Ceropegia pusilla · Fountain Flower · Hearts entangled · Hoodia alstonii · Hoodia currorii · Huernia guttata · Huernia hystrix · Huernia macrocarpa · Huernia pillansii
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Boucerosia frerei by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
