Alluaudia procera is a photograph by Eva Lechner which was uploaded on October 20th, 2019.
Alluaudia procera
Alluaudia procera, or Madagascar ocotillo,known as the octopus tree is a deciduous succulent plant species of the family Didiereaceae. It is endemic... more
by Eva Lechner
Title
Alluaudia procera
Artist
Eva Lechner
Medium
Photograph
Description
Alluaudia procera, or Madagascar ocotillo,known as the octopus tree is a deciduous succulent plant species of the family Didiereaceae. It is endemic to south Madagascar.
This plant is a spiny succulent shrub, with thick water-storing stems and leaves that are deciduous in the long dry season. Although strikingly similar in appearance, it is not closely related to the ocotillo, Fouquieria splendens of the Sonoran Deserts in North America.
Young alluaudias form a tangle of stems that last for several years after which a strong central stem develops. The basal stems then die out leaving a tree-like stem that branches higher up on the main trunk.
Like other members of Didiereaceae family, the leaves of Alluaudia, produced from brachyblasts similar to areoles found in cacti, are small, appear single and are accompanied with conical spines. Its flowers are unisexual and radially symmetric.
Photographed at Sheilam cactus and succulent nursery,South Africa
Uploaded
October 20th, 2019