Genus Pachypodium Rank Species | ||
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Similar Pachypodium succulentum, Pachypodium brevicaule, Pachypodium saundersii, Pachypodium namaquanum, Pachypodium | ||
Pachypodium bispinosum is a succulent sub-shrub in the family Apocynaceae
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Description
P. bispinosum has a swollen, tuberous stem, or caudex, up to 0.6 m tall, which is partially buried beneath the soil. Thick, bonsai-like branches sprout from the top of this stem, and are lined with paired, straight spines 10–20 mm long, somewhat shorter than other Pachypodium species. The narrow leaves are scattered or in tufts along the branches. From August to December, the plant bears a few purple to pink flowers in clusters at the tips of the branches. These flowers are bell-shaped are about 15–20 mm in diameter. P. bispinosum is the most floriferous species in cultivation. The leaves of this species are less hairy than others in its genus, with margins curling down more distinctly.
Distribution
The species is almost entirely confined to the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. In its native range, it can be found in stony places, growing amongst the dry succulent scrub. When not in flower, it is indistinguishable from Pachypodium succulentum, a species with which it overlaps in its natural range.
