Plant of the day is: Alluadia procera or Madagascar ocotillo

Plant of the day is: Alluadia procera or Madagascar ocotillo

    Nope, it's not really a Fouquieria or ocotillo found in the USA southwest. It is something else.  Something else entirely...kind of.

    It IS worth noting and appreciating this thing called evolution.  This is another fine example of life coming up with the same answer in two completely different parts of the world.

    So we've been over how Cactaceae and Euphorbiaceae are different.  Cactaceae North/South America and Euphorbia Africa (in general...there ARE a few exceptions...life ya know?).  But how bought this little guy?

    The family:  Didiereaceae.  Yeah...that's a new one for me too folks.  A very small family consisting of just four genera.  If Wiki can be believed (depends on the day right?) it may be expanded a little bit to include the wonderful Portulacaria genus.  I believe it today, neat stuff that evolution.
    Of note, it is actually very closely related to some of the new world cacti, so much so that successful grafts can be made ... now that's cool.

    Description:  A columnar succulent that can reach up to 18m in its native habitat.  I would be blown away by that.  The reportedly only reach about 8m in cultivation, but that's still pretty impressive.  It grows in a tangle of stems until it reaches maturity and then can often form a large central stem.  All members (except for Decaria) are dioecious, or have separate male and female plants.  They have to be a pretty good size before they will flower (over 3m).  JUST LIKE the Fouquieria they form small oval shaped leaves during the wet season and will drop their leaves during dry periods (cuz what good is a whole lotta transpirational loss?!)
They make up the Madagascar Spiny forest habitat and are threatened/endangered due to over harvesting for fencing, etc. and habitat loss to sisal (Agave sisalana).

This plant grows in an extremely tough environment and really only needs one favor from us to survive.  Just leave it alone and don't try to grow something else in its place.  Up to you humans.  Up to you.

More leaves.  Hard to find good flower pictures.  :/.