2288.010 Alluaudia Drake

Small trees or shrubs with very short to long, stout, solitary spines, rarely absent; truck green to olive brown, photosynthetic; few upright branches or densely branched and the crown flat-topped. Leaves paired below the spines, or rarely absent, orbicular. Inflorescence cymes or umbelliform fascicles borne directly from the apical portion of the youngest branches. Flowers small, irregular; sepals 2, slightly unequal; petals 4, free in 2 decussate pairs. Fruit small nut enclosed by persistent bracts and tepals, indehiscent, 1-seeded. Seed with thin seed coat and whitish caruncle.

Derivation of name: 6 species, endemic to Madagascar.

Zimbabwe: 1 cultivated taxon.