Pachypodium baronii
Encyclopedia
Madagascar palm also known as bontaka, is a flowering plant in the Dogbane family Apocynaceae
(which has been recently merged with Milkweed family Asclepiadaceae
). It has the habit of a robust shrub
with a spherical or bottle-shaped trunk. It has several cylindrical branches at the top.
This plant is endemic to Madagascar
, where it grows in open deciduous
forest on Mesozoic
calcareous
rock and granite
or gneiss
on the western side of the island at low elevations. It is known in Madagascar as "Bontaka". It is also endemic from Befandriana Nord to Mandritsara
.
Constantin and Bois first described Pachypodium baronii as a species
of the genus
Pachypodium in 1907.
in habit. Its trunk is subglobose, not quite globose or spherical, mostly narrowed at the base with dimensions of 20 cm (7.87 inch) to 40 cm (15.75 inch) in length by 20 cm (7.87 inch) by 50 cm (19.69 inch). At the top of the trunk
, it abruptly narrows into one or several cylindrical branch
es that are 30 cm (11.81 inch) to 50 (19.69 inch) cm by 4 cm (1.58 inch) by 8 cm (3.15 inch) in diameter, tapering to 3 cm (3.15 inch) to 4 cm (1.58 inch) in diameter.
Pachypodium baronii typically grows to 1 m (3.28 feet) to 3.50 m (11.48 feet) high. Its bark is colored pale grey or grey-green and is smooth, but sometimes retains remnants of leaf scars. Branchlets are 1.5 cm (0.59 inch) to 7 cm (2.76 inch) in length by 0.8 cm (0.32 inch) to 1.5 cm (0.59 inch) in width. They are covered with paired often curved spines
that measure 2 mm (0.079 inch) by 9 mm (0.354 inch) long to 1 mm (0.039 inch) to 4 mm (0.158 inch) in diameter at the base of the branchlet. Its basal (lower) part of the branchlet is conical and laterally compressed at 0.33 to 0.66 times the spine's length. The spines are often red and pubescent, hairy when young, turning medium to dark brown and glabrous and smooth.
of Pachypodium baronii are confined to the apices of the branchlets. The leaves are petiolate, meaning that they bear a stalk
that attaches to the stem
and to the leaf blade. The petiole
is a pale reddish-green about 3 mm (0.118 inch) to 25 mm (0.985 inch) long. It is pubescent, or hairy-like. The blade is coriaceous, leathery, and medium green. It has a midrib that is above pale green and shiny and beneath pale and glaucous, smooth without hairs. The pale green midrib and dark green reticulate venation is visible when the blade is fresh. When dried, the blade is papery, ovate to obovate or narrowly so, and 1.4 to 3 times as long as it is wide. Therefore, the leaf measures 3 cm (1.18 inch) to 18 cm (0.71 inch) in length by 1.4 cm (0.55 inch) to 9 cm (0.35 inch). It is acuminate, tapering gradually to a sharp point, to apiculate, ending abruptly with a sharp, flexible tip at the apex and wedged-shape or cuneate
to rounded at the base. The leaf's margin is revolute, rolled backward from the tip or margins to the undersurface, glabrous to sparsely pubescent above. Beneath it is pubescent especially on midrib and secondary veins as well as the impressed of venation. As well, underneath the leaf, the midrib and secondary veins are very prominent. The secondary veins are in 15 to 30 pairs, straight, upcurved at the apex, and forming an angle of 45-90° with the costa--the rib, ridge, or especially the mid-rib, for instance, of a leaf. The tertiary, or third level of venation is reticulate, netted or showing a net like structure or pattern.
Inflorescence
The inflorescence of Pachypodium baronii is pedunculate, having a main axis to flower
stalk. The inflorescence is congested, measures 16 cm (inch) by 40 (inch) in length by 40 cm (1.58 inch) to 4.5 cm (1.77 inch) to 12 cm (0.47 inch), and have 3 to 17 flowers. The inflorescence's peduncle, the stalk of an inflorescence or a stalk bearing a solitary flower in a one-flowered inflorescence, is pale green and terete, cylindrical but usually slightly tapering at both ends. It measures 7 mm (0.276 inch) to 20 mm (0.787 inch) in length by 4 mm (0.157 inch) to 6 mm (0.236 inch). The peduncle, as well, is glabrescent. The pedicel
s are pale reddish-green, 8 mm (0.315 inch) to 23 mm (0.906inch) long, and sparsely pubescent and hairy. The bract
s` of P. baronii are oblong and 2 to 3.5 times as long as wide, thus 5 mm (0.197 inch) to 11 mm (0.433 inch) in length by 2 mm (.078 inch) to 2.5 mm (0.098 inch). The bracts are longer than the sepal
s and are pubescent, hairy outside, glabrous, smooth, without hairs inside.
Flower
The sepals of Pachypodium baronii are no different than most sepals in other flowering plants (angiosperms) in forming an outer floral envelop. In P. baroniis case, the sepals are dark green, connate at the base for about 0.2 mm (.008 (0.098 inch), persistent until maturity of the flower
, and ovate
or narrowly so. They measure 1.5-2.5 times as long as they are wide at 2.5 mm (inch) to 6 mm (inch) in length by 1.5 mm (0.059 inch) to 2.5 mm (0.098 inch). They are acuminate at the apex and glabrous, smooth, to sparsely pubescent, slightly hairy, outside and glabrous inside.
s of a flower or the inner whorl of the perianth
; the corolla of Pachypodium baronii is limb and crimson with a corolla tube. The basal part of the corolla tube, the part of the corolla where the petals are united to form a funnel shaped cylinder, is pale green, whereas the upper part is part greenish-red outside and inside pale yellow or pale green. Inside these colors are shaped like a star or ring in pattern. They are surrounded by a dark red throat, measuring 2.5 cm (inch) to 4 cm (inch) long in the mature bud. The corolla tube forms a comparatively wide and broadly ovoid, broad and rounded at the base and tapering toward the end, head that measures 0.4 to 0.5 times the tube's length, thus, at 1 cm (0.39 inch) to 1.9 cm (0.75 inch) long by 0.7 cm (0.28 inch) to 1.1 cm (0.43 inch) wide. At the apex, the bud is acuminate, tapering gradually to a sharp point, to obtuse, having a blunt or rounded tip. Whereas it is (I) glabrous or sparsely pubescent to often partly pubescent outside, inside it is (II) glabrous on the part of the lobes covering the bud and glabrous for 6 mm (0.236 inch) to 7 mm (0.276 inch) from the base. A pubescent belt located inside the corolla tube is 4 mm (0.158 inch) to 7 mm (0.276 inch) below the insertion of the stamen
s, the male reproductive organ of a flower, to the mouth. The mouth is more densely pubescent and hairy. The corolla tube is 4.4 to 6 times as long as the calyx, which is 1.13 to 1.22 times as long as the corolla lobes. Therefore the corolla tube is 15 mm (inch) to 23 mm (inch) long. Its basal part is almost cylindrical, but often conically widened at the base. It is 0.39 to 0.44 times the length of the entire tube at 7 mm (0.276 inch) to 9 mm (0.354 inch) long by 2 mm (0.079 inch) to 4.8 mm (0.189 inch) wide. The upper part is almost cylindrical at 8 mm (0.315 inch) to 14 mm (0.551 inch) long. It slightly narrows at the mouth to be 3 mm (0.118 inch) to 4 mm (0.158 inch) wide. The corolla lobes are obliquely and broadly obovate, egg-shaped and flat with the narrow end attached to the stalk, at 0.8 to 0.9 times as long as the tube, hence measuring at 1.35 to 1.6 times as long as it is wide at 15 mm (0.591 inch) to 19 mm (0.75 inch) long by 11 mm (0.43 inch) to 17 mm (0.67 inch) wide. The lobes are rounded at their apex and ciliate
at the edge, or margin.
s are inserted at 0.47 to 0.6 the length of the corolla tube. It measures at 1.0 cm (0.394 inch) to 1.4 cm (0.551 inch) from the base. The stamen is the male reproductive organ of a flower where it usually has a filament
and, at least, an anther. A filament is usually thin short or elongated stalk of the stamen that carries the anther at the upper end; whereas the anther is the part of the stamen that bear the pollen
. In baronii, the anthers are very narrowly triangular at 5 to 6 times as long as wide, measuring 6 mm (0.236 inch) to 6.5 mm (0.256 inch) in length by 1.0 mm (0.039 inch) to 1.3 mm (0.051 inch) wide. They are pubescent inside at the base of the connective, the sterile
part of the anther as opposed to the theca
, which is the part of the anther that carries pollen
, and are just below where the anther occurs with the pistil head, part of the female reproductive organ in a flower.
and several free carpels the style and the stigma. A carpel is the modified leaf that contains the ovules and has a style and a stigma on top. The style is the stalk-like portion that connects the stigma and the carpel or ovary; whereas the stigma, itself, is the top most receptive region of the style, commonly divided. In Pachypodium baronii the pistil is 12.5 mm (0.49 inch) to 14.5 mm (0.57 inch) long. The ovary measures 2 mm (0.078 inch) to 2.5 mm (0.098 inch) long by 1.8 mm (0.071 inch) to 2.2 mm (0.87 inch) wide by 1.5 mm (0.059 inch) high. It is pubescent on the part not covered by the disk, a disk-like structure that secretes nectar. In P. baronii, the disk is composed of five unequal glands, where 2 or 2 pairs are fused partly or entirely. These glands are ovate and measure 1.7 mm (0.067 inch) to 2 mm (0.079 inch) high. They are rounded at the apex and are more than half as long as the ovary. The style is 9.3 mm (0.37 inch) to 11 mm (0.43 inch) long and sparsely pubescent. The pistil head is cylindrical and is at 1.0 mm (.039 inch) to 1.3 mm (0.51 inch) high. It is composed of an obconic
al, inverted conical shape, basal part, which is 0.5 mm (0.020 inch) to 0.65 mm (0.26 inch) long by 0.4 mm (0.016 inch) to 0.5 mm (0.020 inch) wide. The pistil has a ring-shaped central part measuring 0.5 mm (0.020 inch) to 0.7 mm (0.028 inch) long by 0.6mm (0.024 inch) to 0.7 mm (0.028 inch). It has a stigmoid apex 0.1 mm (0.004 inch) to 0.2 mm (0.008 inch) by 0.3 mm (0.012inch)to 0.4 mm (0.016 inch). The ovules are approximately 50 in each carpel.
Fruit
The fruit of Pachypodium baronii is made up of 2 separate mericarps, the part of the ovary or carpel that has one or more enclosed seed
s. Sometimes only one fruit develops with an angle of 45-180° at the base. Sometimes flowers and fruit
are on the same inflorescence
. The mericarps are pale reddish-green with longitudinal
lines when fresh and when dried pale brown to pale greenish-brown to dark brown outside and whitish to very pale brown inside. The fruit measures 40 mm (1.58 inch) to 115 mm (4.53 inch) long by 10 mm (0.39 inch) to 20 mm (0.79inch) wide by 7 mm (0.28 inch) to 10 mm (0.39 inch) high. When the fruit is fresh it is either straight or recurved, obtuse to acute at the apex. It is pubescent and has a wall 1 mm (inch) thick.
is straw-colored and at 1 cm (0.39 inch) to 1.5 cm (0.59 inch) long. The embryo
is whitish at 5 mm (0.197 inch) by 6 mm (0.236 inch) long. The cotyledons are ovate and 1.14 to 1.2 times as long as it is wide at 3 mm (0.118 inch) to 4 mm (0.158 inch) long by 2.5 mm (0.98 inch) to 3.5 mm (0.138 inch) wide. They are rounded at the apex and cordate at the base with a root
let 0.6 to 0.8 times as long as the cotyledons at 2 mm (0.079 inch) to 2.5 mm (0.098inch) long by 1.0 mm (0.039 inch) to 1.8 mm (0.071 inch) wide.
Ecology
Pachypodium baronii is found on three different substrate, where two are similar and one is not. It can be located on mainly steep gneiss but sometimes granite rocks (metamorphic
basement) and Mesozoic calcareous rock. "metamorphic basement" means a geological
complex of undifferentiated igneous and metamorphic
rocks where the rocks themselves have altered their composition, texture, or internal structure through extreme heat, pressure, and the introduction of a chemical. Granite and gneiss, in this condition of being undifferentiated, tend to have an acidi pH
level; whereas calcareous rock tends to be more basic. This flexibility in substrate demonstrates a less specialized geological environment. These steep rocks are often located in low open dry, xeric deciduous western forest
s where they take advantage of micro-environments suitable for succulents. Micro-environments means a delimited convergence of very localize landscape
and climate
conditions that are in stark contrast to the larger vegetative climatic
environmental zone. Pachypodium baronii prefers open sunlight but will tolerate some indirect light conditions because they inhabit open deciduous forests. They grow at an altitude
between 300 m ( feet) to 1200 m ( feet) . Other vegetative types, often site indictors of micro-environments, are associated with P. baronii in habitats, such as Pachypodium sofiense Apocynaceae
, Uncarina sp., (Pedialaceae) Aloe
bulbillifera (Asphodelaceae), Euphorbia milii (Euphorbaceae), Kalanchoe
gastonis-bonieri (Crassulaceae), and Urera sp. (Urticaceae).
team qua team of Costantin and Bois is not listed in the publication section of the Online Database of Harvard University Herbaria. so other records will need to be examined. The Harvard University Herbaria
does; however, list each botanist separately so that it is easy to discern their identities.
Note: Name of Botanist and some full names of journals is taken from the Online Database Harvard University Herbaria.
Again Harvard University Herbaria does not list "Constantin & Bois" as a team who worked together. Yet each member; however, is listed separately.
The Species
Type
is : Madagascar, sin. loc., Baron 5874 (holotype
P; isotype
K). fig. 1, p. 11; Map 1, p. 12; Plates 2-4, opposite p.16.
Along this history of Pachypodium baronii a variety of the species was published in 1924 by the name Pachypodium baronii var. erythreum. by the botanist Henri Louis Poisson, author name "Poiss.", within the abbreviated name for the journal "Bull. Acad. Malgache." sér. 2, 6: 166, pl. 10 (1924). Its Species Type: Madagascar, Antsiranana, Upper Sofia R., Antsakabary, Perrier de la Bâthie 15082 (holotype P). Rapanarivo et al. and apparently others have considered it a synonym for Pachypodium baronii.
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...
(which has been recently merged with Milkweed family Asclepiadaceae
Asclepiadaceae
According to APG II, the Asclepiadaceae is a former plant family now treated as a subfamily in the Apocynaceae...
). It has the habit of a robust shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
with a spherical or bottle-shaped trunk. It has several cylindrical branches at the top.
This plant is endemic to Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, where it grows in open deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
forest on Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
calcareous
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
rock and granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
or gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
on the western side of the island at low elevations. It is known in Madagascar as "Bontaka". It is also endemic from Befandriana Nord to Mandritsara
Mandritsara
Mandritsara is a city and commune in northern Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Mandritsara, which is a part of Sofia Region. The population of the commune was estimated to be approximately 17,000 in 2001 commune census....
.
Constantin and Bois first described Pachypodium baronii as a species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Pachypodium in 1907.
Habit
Pachypodium baronii is a robust, globose (spherical)- to bottle-shaped shrubShrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
in habit. Its trunk is subglobose, not quite globose or spherical, mostly narrowed at the base with dimensions of 20 cm (7.87 inch) to 40 cm (15.75 inch) in length by 20 cm (7.87 inch) by 50 cm (19.69 inch). At the top of the trunk
Trunk (botany)
In botany, trunk refers to the main wooden axis of a tree that supports the branches and is supported by and directly attached to the roots. The trunk is covered by the bark, which is an important diagnostic feature in tree identification, and which often differs markedly from the bottom of the...
, it abruptly narrows into one or several cylindrical branch
Branch
A branch or tree branch is a woody structural member connected to but not part of the central trunk of a tree...
es that are 30 cm (11.81 inch) to 50 (19.69 inch) cm by 4 cm (1.58 inch) by 8 cm (3.15 inch) in diameter, tapering to 3 cm (3.15 inch) to 4 cm (1.58 inch) in diameter.
Pachypodium baronii typically grows to 1 m (3.28 feet) to 3.50 m (11.48 feet) high. Its bark is colored pale grey or grey-green and is smooth, but sometimes retains remnants of leaf scars. Branchlets are 1.5 cm (0.59 inch) to 7 cm (2.76 inch) in length by 0.8 cm (0.32 inch) to 1.5 cm (0.59 inch) in width. They are covered with paired often curved spines
Thorns, spines, and prickles
In botanical morphology, thorns, spines, and prickles are hard structures with sharp, or at least pointed, ends. In spite of this common feature, they differ in their growth and development on the plant; they are modified versions of different plant organs, stems, stipules, leaf veins, or hairs...
that measure 2 mm (0.079 inch) by 9 mm (0.354 inch) long to 1 mm (0.039 inch) to 4 mm (0.158 inch) in diameter at the base of the branchlet. Its basal (lower) part of the branchlet is conical and laterally compressed at 0.33 to 0.66 times the spine's length. The spines are often red and pubescent, hairy when young, turning medium to dark brown and glabrous and smooth.
Leaves
The leavesLeaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
of Pachypodium baronii are confined to the apices of the branchlets. The leaves are petiolate, meaning that they bear a stalk
Plant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
that attaches to the stem
Plant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
and to the leaf blade. The petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
is a pale reddish-green about 3 mm (0.118 inch) to 25 mm (0.985 inch) long. It is pubescent, or hairy-like. The blade is coriaceous, leathery, and medium green. It has a midrib that is above pale green and shiny and beneath pale and glaucous, smooth without hairs. The pale green midrib and dark green reticulate venation is visible when the blade is fresh. When dried, the blade is papery, ovate to obovate or narrowly so, and 1.4 to 3 times as long as it is wide. Therefore, the leaf measures 3 cm (1.18 inch) to 18 cm (0.71 inch) in length by 1.4 cm (0.55 inch) to 9 cm (0.35 inch). It is acuminate, tapering gradually to a sharp point, to apiculate, ending abruptly with a sharp, flexible tip at the apex and wedged-shape or cuneate
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
to rounded at the base. The leaf's margin is revolute, rolled backward from the tip or margins to the undersurface, glabrous to sparsely pubescent above. Beneath it is pubescent especially on midrib and secondary veins as well as the impressed of venation. As well, underneath the leaf, the midrib and secondary veins are very prominent. The secondary veins are in 15 to 30 pairs, straight, upcurved at the apex, and forming an angle of 45-90° with the costa--the rib, ridge, or especially the mid-rib, for instance, of a leaf. The tertiary, or third level of venation is reticulate, netted or showing a net like structure or pattern.
InflorescenceInflorescenceAn inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
The inflorescence of Pachypodium baronii is pedunculate, having a main axis to flowerFlower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
stalk. The inflorescence is congested, measures 16 cm (inch) by 40 (inch) in length by 40 cm (1.58 inch) to 4.5 cm (1.77 inch) to 12 cm (0.47 inch), and have 3 to 17 flowers. The inflorescence's peduncle, the stalk of an inflorescence or a stalk bearing a solitary flower in a one-flowered inflorescence, is pale green and terete, cylindrical but usually slightly tapering at both ends. It measures 7 mm (0.276 inch) to 20 mm (0.787 inch) in length by 4 mm (0.157 inch) to 6 mm (0.236 inch). The peduncle, as well, is glabrescent. The pedicel
Pedicel (botany)
A pedicel is a stem that attaches single flowers to the main stem of the inflorescence. It is the branches or stalks that hold each flower in an inflorescence that contains more than one flower....
s are pale reddish-green, 8 mm (0.315 inch) to 23 mm (0.906inch) long, and sparsely pubescent and hairy. The bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s` of P. baronii are oblong and 2 to 3.5 times as long as wide, thus 5 mm (0.197 inch) to 11 mm (0.433 inch) in length by 2 mm (.078 inch) to 2.5 mm (0.098 inch). The bracts are longer than the sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s and are pubescent, hairy outside, glabrous, smooth, without hairs inside.
FlowerFlowerA flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s
The sepals of Pachypodium baronii are no different than most sepals in other flowering plants (angiosperms) in forming an outer floral envelop. In P. baroniis case, the sepals are dark green, connate at the base for about 0.2 mm (.008 (0.098 inch), persistent until maturity of the flowerFlower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
, and ovate
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
or narrowly so. They measure 1.5-2.5 times as long as they are wide at 2.5 mm (inch) to 6 mm (inch) in length by 1.5 mm (0.059 inch) to 2.5 mm (0.098 inch). They are acuminate at the apex and glabrous, smooth, to sparsely pubescent, slightly hairy, outside and glabrous inside.
Corolla
The collective term for all the petalPetal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s of a flower or the inner whorl of the perianth
Perianth
The term perianth has two similar but separate meanings in botany:* In flowering plants, the perianth are the outer, sterile whorls of a flower...
; the corolla of Pachypodium baronii is limb and crimson with a corolla tube. The basal part of the corolla tube, the part of the corolla where the petals are united to form a funnel shaped cylinder, is pale green, whereas the upper part is part greenish-red outside and inside pale yellow or pale green. Inside these colors are shaped like a star or ring in pattern. They are surrounded by a dark red throat, measuring 2.5 cm (inch) to 4 cm (inch) long in the mature bud. The corolla tube forms a comparatively wide and broadly ovoid, broad and rounded at the base and tapering toward the end, head that measures 0.4 to 0.5 times the tube's length, thus, at 1 cm (0.39 inch) to 1.9 cm (0.75 inch) long by 0.7 cm (0.28 inch) to 1.1 cm (0.43 inch) wide. At the apex, the bud is acuminate, tapering gradually to a sharp point, to obtuse, having a blunt or rounded tip. Whereas it is (I) glabrous or sparsely pubescent to often partly pubescent outside, inside it is (II) glabrous on the part of the lobes covering the bud and glabrous for 6 mm (0.236 inch) to 7 mm (0.276 inch) from the base. A pubescent belt located inside the corolla tube is 4 mm (0.158 inch) to 7 mm (0.276 inch) below the insertion of the stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s, the male reproductive organ of a flower, to the mouth. The mouth is more densely pubescent and hairy. The corolla tube is 4.4 to 6 times as long as the calyx, which is 1.13 to 1.22 times as long as the corolla lobes. Therefore the corolla tube is 15 mm (inch) to 23 mm (inch) long. Its basal part is almost cylindrical, but often conically widened at the base. It is 0.39 to 0.44 times the length of the entire tube at 7 mm (0.276 inch) to 9 mm (0.354 inch) long by 2 mm (0.079 inch) to 4.8 mm (0.189 inch) wide. The upper part is almost cylindrical at 8 mm (0.315 inch) to 14 mm (0.551 inch) long. It slightly narrows at the mouth to be 3 mm (0.118 inch) to 4 mm (0.158 inch) wide. The corolla lobes are obliquely and broadly obovate, egg-shaped and flat with the narrow end attached to the stalk, at 0.8 to 0.9 times as long as the tube, hence measuring at 1.35 to 1.6 times as long as it is wide at 15 mm (0.591 inch) to 19 mm (0.75 inch) long by 11 mm (0.43 inch) to 17 mm (0.67 inch) wide. The lobes are rounded at their apex and ciliate
Ciliate
The ciliates are a group of protozoans characterized by the presence of hair-like organelles called cilia, which are identical in structure to flagella but typically shorter and present in much larger numbers with a different undulating pattern than flagella...
at the edge, or margin.
Stamens
With an apex 4 mm (0.158 inch) to 4.5 mm (0.177 inch) below the mouth of the corolla tube, Pachypodium baronii's stamenStamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s are inserted at 0.47 to 0.6 the length of the corolla tube. It measures at 1.0 cm (0.394 inch) to 1.4 cm (0.551 inch) from the base. The stamen is the male reproductive organ of a flower where it usually has a filament
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
and, at least, an anther. A filament is usually thin short or elongated stalk of the stamen that carries the anther at the upper end; whereas the anther is the part of the stamen that bear the pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
. In baronii, the anthers are very narrowly triangular at 5 to 6 times as long as wide, measuring 6 mm (0.236 inch) to 6.5 mm (0.256 inch) in length by 1.0 mm (0.039 inch) to 1.3 mm (0.051 inch) wide. They are pubescent inside at the base of the connective, the sterile
Infertility
Infertility primarily refers to the biological inability of a person to contribute to conception. Infertility may also refer to the state of a woman who is unable to carry a pregnancy to full term...
part of the anther as opposed to the theca
Theca
A theca refers to any case, covering, or sheath.In botany, the theca of an angiosperm consists a pair of microsporangia that are adjacent to each other and share a common area of dehiscence called the stomium. Any part of a microsporophyll that bears microsporangia is called an anther. Most...
, which is the part of the anther that carries pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
, and are just below where the anther occurs with the pistil head, part of the female reproductive organ in a flower.
Pistil
The pistil is the female reproductive organ of a flower that is composed of an ovaryOvary (plants)
In the flowering plants, an ovary is a part of the female reproductive organ of the flower or gynoecium. Specifically, it is the part of the pistil which holds the ovule and is located above or below or at the point of connection with the base of the petals and sepals...
and several free carpels the style and the stigma. A carpel is the modified leaf that contains the ovules and has a style and a stigma on top. The style is the stalk-like portion that connects the stigma and the carpel or ovary; whereas the stigma, itself, is the top most receptive region of the style, commonly divided. In Pachypodium baronii the pistil is 12.5 mm (0.49 inch) to 14.5 mm (0.57 inch) long. The ovary measures 2 mm (0.078 inch) to 2.5 mm (0.098 inch) long by 1.8 mm (0.071 inch) to 2.2 mm (0.87 inch) wide by 1.5 mm (0.059 inch) high. It is pubescent on the part not covered by the disk, a disk-like structure that secretes nectar. In P. baronii, the disk is composed of five unequal glands, where 2 or 2 pairs are fused partly or entirely. These glands are ovate and measure 1.7 mm (0.067 inch) to 2 mm (0.079 inch) high. They are rounded at the apex and are more than half as long as the ovary. The style is 9.3 mm (0.37 inch) to 11 mm (0.43 inch) long and sparsely pubescent. The pistil head is cylindrical and is at 1.0 mm (.039 inch) to 1.3 mm (0.51 inch) high. It is composed of an obconic
Obconic
In botany, an obconic is an inverted cone shape. The term is most frequently applied to certain fruit or hypanthium structures with the apical end attached to the stem; however, less frequently the usage may apply to the pistil structure. In the case of fungi the designation is often made to the...
al, inverted conical shape, basal part, which is 0.5 mm (0.020 inch) to 0.65 mm (0.26 inch) long by 0.4 mm (0.016 inch) to 0.5 mm (0.020 inch) wide. The pistil has a ring-shaped central part measuring 0.5 mm (0.020 inch) to 0.7 mm (0.028 inch) long by 0.6mm (0.024 inch) to 0.7 mm (0.028 inch). It has a stigmoid apex 0.1 mm (0.004 inch) to 0.2 mm (0.008 inch) by 0.3 mm (0.012inch)to 0.4 mm (0.016 inch). The ovules are approximately 50 in each carpel.
FruitFruitIn broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
The fruit of Pachypodium baronii is made up of 2 separate mericarps, the part of the ovary or carpel that has one or more enclosed seedSeed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s. Sometimes only one fruit develops with an angle of 45-180° at the base. Sometimes flowers and fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
are on the same inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
. The mericarps are pale reddish-green with longitudinal
Anatomical terms of location
Standard anatomical terms of location are designations employed in science that deal with the anatomy of animals to avoid ambiguities that might otherwise arise. They are not language-specific, and thus require no translation...
lines when fresh and when dried pale brown to pale greenish-brown to dark brown outside and whitish to very pale brown inside. The fruit measures 40 mm (1.58 inch) to 115 mm (4.53 inch) long by 10 mm (0.39 inch) to 20 mm (0.79inch) wide by 7 mm (0.28 inch) to 10 mm (0.39 inch) high. When the fruit is fresh it is either straight or recurved, obtuse to acute at the apex. It is pubescent and has a wall 1 mm (inch) thick.
Seeds
The seed of Pachypodium baronii is pale brown with margin medium brown when fresh. It is ovate to elliptic at 6 mm (0.236 inch) to 7 mm (0.256 inch) by 3 mm (0.118 inch) to 3.8 mm (0.150 inch). It is rounded at the apex, obtuse at the base, and has a margin that is revolute towards the hilar side. The testa is smooth. The comaComa
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
is straw-colored and at 1 cm (0.39 inch) to 1.5 cm (0.59 inch) long. The embryo
Embryo
An embryo is a multicellular diploid eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, hatching, or germination...
is whitish at 5 mm (0.197 inch) by 6 mm (0.236 inch) long. The cotyledons are ovate and 1.14 to 1.2 times as long as it is wide at 3 mm (0.118 inch) to 4 mm (0.158 inch) long by 2.5 mm (0.98 inch) to 3.5 mm (0.138 inch) wide. They are rounded at the apex and cordate at the base with a root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
let 0.6 to 0.8 times as long as the cotyledons at 2 mm (0.079 inch) to 2.5 mm (0.098inch) long by 1.0 mm (0.039 inch) to 1.8 mm (0.071 inch) wide.
EcologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
Pachypodium baronii is found on three different substrate, where two are similar and one is not. It can be located on mainly steep gneiss but sometimes granite rocks (metamorphicMetamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
basement) and Mesozoic calcareous rock. "metamorphic basement" means a geological
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
complex of undifferentiated igneous and metamorphic
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
rocks where the rocks themselves have altered their composition, texture, or internal structure through extreme heat, pressure, and the introduction of a chemical. Granite and gneiss, in this condition of being undifferentiated, tend to have an acidi pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
level; whereas calcareous rock tends to be more basic. This flexibility in substrate demonstrates a less specialized geological environment. These steep rocks are often located in low open dry, xeric deciduous western forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s where they take advantage of micro-environments suitable for succulents. Micro-environments means a delimited convergence of very localize landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
and climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
conditions that are in stark contrast to the larger vegetative climatic
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
environmental zone. Pachypodium baronii prefers open sunlight but will tolerate some indirect light conditions because they inhabit open deciduous forests. They grow at an altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
between 300 m ( feet) to 1200 m ( feet) . Other vegetative types, often site indictors of micro-environments, are associated with P. baronii in habitats, such as Pachypodium sofiense 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...
, Uncarina sp., (Pedialaceae) Aloe
Aloe
Aloe , also Aloë, is a genus containing about 500 species of flowering succulent plants. The most common and well known of these is Aloe vera, or "true aloe"....
bulbillifera (Asphodelaceae), Euphorbia milii (Euphorbaceae), Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe , also written Kalanchöe or Kalanchoë, is a genus of about 125 species of tropical, succulent flowering plants in the Family Crassulaceae, mainly native to the Old World but with a few species now growing wild in the New World following introduction of the species.Most are shrubs or...
gastonis-bonieri (Crassulaceae), and Urera sp. (Urticaceae).
Cultivation
The substrate for Pachypodium baronii in cultivation is an acidic loose peat mixed with gneiss sand at a pH level of 4. Temperatures from spring to autumn, day and night are respectively 12°C (53.6 °F) to 40°C (104 °F). In the winter, night and day temperatures should range from 12°C (53.6 °F) to 20°C (68 °F) or more. It will after four years of growth flower profusely in the spring. As well, it needs a larger pot size than other Pachypodium species. It water regime is to water a lot during growing season and very little during the resting time only to prohibit trying out of roots. Propagation is by seeds.Literature
The botanistBotany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
team qua team of Costantin and Bois is not listed in the publication section of the Online Database of Harvard University Herbaria. so other records will need to be examined. The Harvard University Herbaria
Herbarium
In botany, a herbarium – sometimes known by the Anglicized term herbar – is a collection of preserved plant specimens. These specimens may be whole plants or plant parts: these will usually be in a dried form, mounted on a sheet, but depending upon the material may also be kept in...
does; however, list each botanist separately so that it is easy to discern their identities.
Note: Name of Botanist and some full names of journals is taken from the Online Database Harvard University Herbaria.
Again Harvard University Herbaria does not list "Constantin & Bois" as a team who worked together. Yet each member; however, is listed separately.
- "Constantin" is the authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
name for Julien Noel Costantin. "Bois," likewise, is the name for Desire Georges Jean Marie Bois. As a team, they published in 1907 Pachypodium baronii as a species of Pachypodium within the journal abbreviated "Ann. Sc. Nat." - The author known as "Perrier de la Bâthie", known by his full name Joseph Marie Henry Alfred Perrier de la Bâthie, published an account of the taxon in "Bulletin de la Société Botanique de France" 81: 301 (1934) in 1934.
- The botanist Marcel PichonMarcel Pichon- Publications :* 1948. Classification des apocynacées. 1. Carissées et ambelaniées* 1948. Classification des apocynacées : . IX. Rauvolfiées, alstoniées, allamandées et tabernémontanoïdées...
, author name "Pichon," gave an account of the species in the abbreviated journalAcademic journalAn academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
name Mem. Inst. Sc. Madag, sér. B, 2: 123 (1949) (all three as baronii). - Most recently Friedrich Markgraf in 1976 gave definitionDefinitionA definition is a passage that explains the meaning of a term , or a type of thing. The term to be defined is the definiendum. A term may have many different senses or meanings...
to P. baronii in "Fl. Madag." fam. 169: 289(1976).
The Species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
Type
Biological type
In biology, a type is one particular specimen of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached...
is : Madagascar, sin. loc., Baron 5874 (holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
P; isotype
Isotype
Isotype can refer to:* In crystallography, an "isotype" is a synonym for isomorph* In biology, per the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, the "isotype" is a duplicate of the holotype....
K). fig. 1, p. 11; Map 1, p. 12; Plates 2-4, opposite p.16.
Along this history of Pachypodium baronii a variety of the species was published in 1924 by the name Pachypodium baronii var. erythreum. by the botanist Henri Louis Poisson, author name "Poiss.", within the abbreviated name for the journal "Bull. Acad. Malgache." sér. 2, 6: 166, pl. 10 (1924). Its Species Type: Madagascar, Antsiranana, Upper Sofia R., Antsakabary, Perrier de la Bâthie 15082 (holotype P). Rapanarivo et al. and apparently others have considered it a synonym for Pachypodium baronii.
External sources
- Eggli, Urs. Glossary of botanical terms with special reference to Succulent Plants. with German Equivalents (British Cactus & Succulent Society: United Kingdom: 1993) and
- TheFreeDictionary: terms
- Rapanarivo, S.H.J.V., Lavranos, J.J., Leeuwenberg, A.J.M., and Röösli, W. Pachypodium (Apocynaceae): Taxonomy, habitats and cultivation "Taxonomic revision of the genus Pachypodium," S.H.J.V. Rapanarivo and J.J. Lavranos; "The habitats of Pachypodium species" S.H.J.V. Rapanarivo; "Cultivation" W. Röösli. (A.A. Balkema: Rotterdam, Brookfield, 1999) [Rapanarivo et al.]
- Cactus Blog