Pachypodium: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:18, 12 May 2005

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==The Genus '''Pachypodium'''==

'''''Pachypodium''''' is a [[genus]] included in the plant family [[Apocynaceae]]. The genus name means '''thick''' (''pachy'') '''foot''' (''podium'') and refers to the thick, almost branchless stems. Members of the '''Apocynaceae''' family can have either clear or milkey, white latex, sap as is the case for a relative often associated with '''''Pachypodium''''', '''''Adenium'''''. On the other hand, '''''Pachypodium''''' always has clear sap.¹ Both genre, moreover, are highly poisonness. The first species described by Lindley is '''''Pachypodium tuberosum''''', which is a synonym for today's '''''Pachypodium succulentum''''' (L.f.) A. DC. '''''Pacypodium''''' are highly collected, esteemed, and cultivated plants by succulent enthusiast's, who depend upon mainly a healthly supply of plants from nurseries. Naturally', regrettably, '''''Pacypodium''''' are collected in the wild--'''''in situ'''''--locations, where such activity, not only for '''''Pachypodium''''' but plants in general theaten, the existense of the species in its natural habitat. '''''Pachypodium namaquanum''''' is an example of such a theartened species.

The genus '''''Pachypodium''''', according to S.H.J.V Rapanarivo and A. J. M. Leeuwenberg in '''<u>Pachypodium (Apocynaceae): Taxonomy, Habitats and Cultivation</u>''' in the '''<u> Abstract</u>''' of '''Taxonomic revision of Pachypodium: Series of Revisions of Apocynaceae XLVIII''' suggest similar yet minor differences in the taxonomical record of species than what is apparently published in '''<u>Trees of Southern Africa</u>''' by A. van Wyk and P. van Wyk. It lists <u>twenty-three</u> species, where <u>eighteen</u> are endemic to Madagascar and <u>five</u> occur in the continental Africa--''Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.'' In 1999, the publication for '''<u>Pachypodium (Apocynaceae): Taxonomy, Habitats and Cultivation</u>''' is the work of several authors: S.H.J.V Rapanarivo, J.J. Lavranos, A.J.M. Leeuwenberg, and W. Röösli: ['''''Hence referenced as <u>Rapanarivo et al.</u>'''''] ('''"Taxonomic Revision of the genus '''''Pachypodium"''''')''' S.H.J.V Rapanarivo and A.J.M. Leeuwenberg; ('''"The habitats of '''''Pachypodium''''' species''') S.H.J.V Rapanarivo; AND ('''Cultivation''') W. Röösli) This work, besides any subsequent, relevant journal articles, seems to be the most current "'''<u>authority</u>'''" on the genus '''''Pachypodium'''''. Rapanarivo and Leeuwenberg give a better account of the key species to the genus '''''Pachypodium''''' as a whole from other recent literature.