Pachypodium rosulatum
Encyclopedia
Pachypodium rosulatum, common name Elephant's Foot Plant, belongs to the dogbane
family Apocynaceae
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plant with a bottle-shaped trunk, brownnish silver and almost spineless, about 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 ) wide and about 20–35 cm (7.9–13.8 ) tall. From the caudex
depart many thorny cylindrical arms, forming a shrub about 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) tall. The leaves, which fall in the dry season, form a rosette on the top of branches. They are deciduous, dark green, oblanceolate, ovate or elliptical and petiolated. The long-stalked flowers are sulphur-yellow and form an inflorescence about 30 centimetres (11.8 in) high. Flowering period extends from February through May. The fruits are 6 to 20 inches long and contain elongated seeds with a length of 6 mm.
and the underground tuberous enable the plant to tolerate long periods of drought.
Apocynum
Apocynum, commonly known as Dogbane and Indian Hemp, is a genus of the plant family of the Apocynaceae with seven species. From the Greek: apo, away; cyno, dog, attributed to its toxicity...
family Apocynaceae
Apocynaceae
The Apocynaceae or dogbane family is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, and lianas.Many species are tall trees found in tropical rainforests, and most are from the tropics and subtropics, but some grow in tropical dry, xeric environments. There are also perennial herbs...
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Description
Pachypodium rosulatum is a shrubby perennial caudiciformCaudiciform
Caudiciform plants, or fat plants, are water-retaining plants adapted to arid climate or soil conditions. Caudiciform plants store water in their stem bases, stems and/or roots. Many species of plant from different plant families have developed this form of storing water rather than in foliage or...
plant with a bottle-shaped trunk, brownnish silver and almost spineless, about 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 ) wide and about 20–35 cm (7.9–13.8 ) tall. From the caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
depart many thorny cylindrical arms, forming a shrub about 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) tall. The leaves, which fall in the dry season, form a rosette on the top of branches. They are deciduous, dark green, oblanceolate, ovate or elliptical and petiolated. The long-stalked flowers are sulphur-yellow and form an inflorescence about 30 centimetres (11.8 in) high. Flowering period extends from February through May. The fruits are 6 to 20 inches long and contain elongated seeds with a length of 6 mm.
Habitat
These plants prefer sunny and stony areas. The succulent caudexCaudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
and the underground tuberous enable the plant to tolerate long periods of drought.