Pachypodium succulentum

Pachypodium succulentum

Succulentum Pachypodium is a plant of the genus Pachypodium in the family of the dogbane family ( Apocynaceae ).

Description

Pachypodium succulentum is a perennial plant that grows as a low, branched subshrub and a beet -like, more or less subterranean caudex stems with a diameter of up to 15 cm. The branches are 20 to 60 cm long and branched 5 to 12 mm thick and sparrig, initially they are hairy tomentose, later, shows the brown bark. The plant is covered with pairs of standing, up to 25 mm long spines, rarely are a couple of extra spikes above the buds. The leaves are sparsely distributed, they are narrow oblong - lanceolate to lanceolate and vice versa are 1.5 to 6 cm long and 0.2 to 1 cm wide.

The flowers are in small groups at the top of the branches, they are 1-2 cm long and measure 1.8 to 4 cm in diameter. The corolla tube has a diameter of 3 to 4 mm. The species is highly variable in size and color of the flowers, the colors range from white and pink striped across different variants to purple.

The fruits are 4-6 cm long, the seeds are ovate and 5 mm.

Occurrence

The species is widespread in the South African provinces of North Cape and Western Cape, as well as in the north to the Free State.