Sounds to me like it's dying of thurst. Seedlings are not quite as drought tolerant as adult plants. I would give the plant some water and then let the soil dry before watering again. This is my .02
Hopefully, others will weigh-in on this also.
Mike

I agree with Mike,
I started a couple adenium from seed a few months ago, and they get very thirsty MUCH faster than my adult ones. I've been giving them a good drink about every week, or maybe week and a half, depending on how fast the soil dries out. I'm certainly not an expert though, so hopefully a few other join the conversation.
best of luck!

-Willow

i have adenium seedlings. when the caudex is slightly wrinkled they need water. i water when the caudex gets a little soft, not wrinkled. but waiting until it is wrinkled has not seemed to harm the plant.

So correct me if I am wrong..Please

Does this mean they even though they are in a dormant stage, completly leafless, they are still looking for a drink?

Thank you..

MIke

Elichka said: "The plant is 3 inch long ( top leaf)." so it sounds to me like the plant has leaves and if that's the case it would certainly need more water than a plant that is leafless. Although, a leafless plant may/probably needs to be watered during the winter if the caudex starts to get soft and/or wrinkled.

Keep in mind that plants in nature never get as dry as a plant in your home. In nature, there is dew that forms most nights, even in the desert, and cactus and succulent spines help to channel that moisture to their roots. The moisture condenses on the spines and as it builds up, water is directed to the base of the plant. So even if it has not rained for months, the plants in the desert are not quite as dry as you would think.

I have a bunch of plants I keep in my cold basement over the winter, in the dark, and I have to water them a few times over the course of the winter to keep them alive. I have two plants that I do not have to give any water to at all from about October to May and those plants are Bursera fagaroides and Jatropha multifida. They come through the winter without water with flying colors. None of the other plants are quite that drought tolerant, unfortunately.

If a plant goes bone-dry for too long, you are at more of a risk of the plant losing it's roots to the drought.
My .02
Mike

Well,just want to follow up. It doesn't look good after I watered lightly. It lost almost all roots,one remained,not white,more brown,but not mushy. I repoted to a completely dry mix 3/4 " depth. I'm afraid to water it or even mist it. Stem is soft and wrinkled. Should I leave it alone and see what happened?

I have an adenium arabicum seedling, sprouted in September. It has one leaf, it is in an unheated, uninsulated bedroom where temps can drop to 50. It is often cloudy, although right now it is sunny, (Southern exposure). It was given a spritz on December 1, and then again on Jan. 8. Not again until mid-February.

It is not growing, but it maintains it's ONE solitary green, healthy looking leaf.

Leave it alone for awhile.

I took a paper towel, soaked it and then squeezed its contents on the soil. That's what I call a spritz.

Our spring is often rainy, but if it shows signs of new life despite all that, that I can honestly say, I have successfully over wintered an adenium!