Dorstenia foetida, also known as grendelion, is a succulent plant in the genus Dorstenia, which is native to Eastern Africa and Arabia. It is a very variable species with a wide distribution.
A very variable species especially in shape and size of leaves, and length of petioles and stipules. It is a perennial, evergreen or caducous sub-shrub. Stem succulent, may be branched or not. Stem a thick, dark green- to mahogany-colored conical trunk, up to 15 centimeters in diameter and 30âÂÂ40 centimeters in height, older parts often with peeling bark. The stem bears conspicuous and prominent round scars of petioles, inflorescences and stipules in a spiral pattern. Branches nearly as thick as the stem, up to 1âÂÂ1.5 cm thick and up to 15 cm tall, with pronounced markings of leaf-, inflorescence- and stipule-scars. Leaves alternate, crowded at the top of stems and branches; stipules subulate from a broad base, 1âÂÂ2 mm long, mostly long persistent; petiole 1âÂÂ3.6 cm long, puberulous; blade lanceolate to ovate, obovate or elliptic, 1.8âÂÂ18 x 1âÂÂ2.5 cm, cuneate to rounded at the base, rounded, obtuse or acuminate at the apex, with entire, crenulate, crisp or denticulate margins, scabridulous above, sparsely puberulous below. Flower structures grayish or green (or orange/pinkish). Receptacles 1âÂÂ3 together in the leaf axils, on peduncles 1âÂÂ6 cm long, circular in outline, 0.6âÂÂ1.5 cm in diam. (excl. appendages), appendages 7âÂÂ10, linear, up to 1.5 cm long. Male flowers numerous, tepals 2, stamens 2, rudimentary ovary inconspicuous. Female flowers numerous, scattered on the upper surface of the receptacle, stigma unbranched. Fruit with elongated, minutely tuberculate, pale brown endocarp, 1âÂÂ1.4 mm long. The seed pods sunk in the receptacles open explosively when ripe and send the seed flying a considerable distance.
Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman.
Deciduous and succulent bushland, open places, and on rock outcrops.
In Oman the tubers of Dorstenia foetida are cooked and eaten.