Alluaudia

Alluaudia
Alluaudia procera
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Didiereaceae
Genus: Alluaudia
(Drake) Drake
Species

6, see text

Alluaudia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Didiereaceae. There are six species, all endemic to Madagascar.[1]

Most occur in the southwestern subarid forest-thicket vegetation of the island.[2]

Spines are arranged around the leaves as a defense against herbivores. The spines are several meters above the ground, and probably evolved in response to herbivory by now-extinct lemurs, such as Hadropithecus. Several lemur species living today feed heavily on Alluaudia, such as the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) and the white-footed sportive lemur (Lepilemur leucopus).[3]

Species

Gallery

References

  1. Alluaudia. Madagascar Catalogue. eFloras.
  2. Schatz, G., et al. Modeling of endemic plant species of Madagascar under climate change. In: Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Madagascar's Livelihoods and Biodiversity. Conference. Antananarivo, Madagascar, 28 January 2008.
  3. Crowley, B. E. and L. R. Godfrey. (2013). Why all those spines?: Anachronistic defences in the Didiereoideae against now extinct lemurs. South African Journal of Science 109(1-2), 1-7.

External links