Bontaka
Pachypodium baronii v. baronii
Shrubby to 2 feet tall. Shrubby really doesn’t do this plant justice. Thick, long spiny branches off in all directions. Great heaps of fluorescent blooms on long stalks in spring, with masses of thick green leaves following.
Doesn’t it look lickable? That little yellow center must taste like honey. Let me lean in just a little closer…
On the other hand, there’s this description of the habitat from Wikipedia,
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.
A very different style of writing from mine, wouldn’t you say? Denser, and yet not more informative at all. I love that you might like to read both styles in one place, right here on my blog that is, since I suspect if I edited my paragraph about licking into the wikipedia article it would be edited right back out within minutes. Shall we try?…
