Pachypodium ambongense

Native to northwestern Madagascar, this succulent shrub develops a swollen, bottle-shaped stem. It grows in low, open deciduous forest on limestone, including the Namoroka region. White flowers have five broad spreading lobes around a yellow-green throat. Its thick stem is a distinctive adaptation to the seasonal dryness of its natural habitat. The species is protected under CITES Appendix I, which strictly restricts international trade in wild plants. Photographed in Florida.