Random Article Summary #142

Dorstenia foetida, also called grendelion, is a succulent plant in the genus Dorstenia. It grows naturally in Eastern Africa and parts of Arabia. This plant is known for being very variable, meaning it can look different across locations. It has a wide distribution, so it is found in many different areas within its native range. Dorstenia foetida is a very variable plant, especially in leaf shape and size, and in the lengths of the leaf stalks and stipules. It is a perennial sub-shrub with a thick, dark green to mahogany trunk that can be 15 cm wide and 30–40 cm tall, often with peeling bark. The plant has crowded alternate leaves near the top, small persistent stipules, and small male and female flowers on the receptacle, with fruit pods that burst open and throw seeds away when ripe. Dorstenia foetida is found across Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman. These countries represent its known natural distribution range. Dorstenia foetida grows in dry areas such as deciduous and succulent bushland, as well as open spaces. It is also found on rocky outcrops. In Oman, people cook the tubers of Dorstenia foetida and eat them.