Leuenbergeria guamacho

Native to Panama, northern Colombia, Venezuela and the southern Caribbean, it is a semisucculent shrub or small tree of seasonally dry tropical habitats. This leafy cactus retains broad leaves that play an important role in photosynthesis. During prolonged drought in coastal Venezuela, some plants open their leaf pores at night and accumulate acids, making limited use of the water-saving photosynthetic pathway common in cacti. Most carbon uptake still occurs during the day. Photographed in the department of Atlantico, Colombia.