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Didierea madagascariensis

Species of flowering plant From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Didierea madagascariensis, commonly known as the octopus tree,[3] is a species of Didiereaceae endemic to the spiny thickets of southwestern Madagascar.[2] It was first described scientifically by the French botanist Henri Ernest Baillon in 1880[4] and is the type species of the genus Didierea.

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Didierea madagascariensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Didiereaceae
Genus: Didierea
Species:
D. madagascariensis
Binomial name
Didierea madagascariensis
Synonyms[2]
  • Didierea mirabilis Baill.
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It is known in Malagasy as sohongy, sony and soribarika.[5] Sohongy and sony come from the Tanosy dialect word songo meaning "lock of hair" or a rooster's crest or comb[6] possibly referring to its branches that sprawl upwards.

Description

As with all members of the sub-family Didiereoideae, this is a semi-succulent woody, shrub to small tree.[7] It is densely spiny and can grow up to 10 metres (33 ft) tall.[8] Spines are arranged in whorls, mostly of four.[7] Leaves are small and narrow-lanceolate and arranged in rosettes.[7]

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