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Pachypodium lamerei: Thick-footed succulents
The genus Pachypodium is one such example. About 20 species are found in
Madagascar and five in southern Africa. The plant you see here is the Malagasy
Pachypodium lamerei. The Latin genus name of Pachypodium is appropriate;
in English, it means „thick-footed“. As is typical for this genus, it stores water
in its thick-bottomed trunk. The trunk is usually covered in cactus-like thorns,
and protected from drying out by a hard, leathery rind. Pachypodium lamerei
grows quickly, and can attain a height of up to 6 meters. For this reason, and thanks
to its pretty, white flowers, it has become a popular houseplant.
Gardeners often know it as the Madagascar palm – a misleading name, as it’s not
botanically related to the palm family. It actually belongs to the dogbane family,
or Apocynaceae, which also includes oleander and periwinkles.
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Pachypodium lamerei: Thick-footed succulents (MP3, 417 KB)
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