About Pachypodium brevicaule Baker
Pachypodium brevicaule Baker is a plant species in the family Apocynaceae. It is native to Madagascar, occurring in the area between south of Antananarivo and the Itremo Mountains. This species grows in open, deciduous Western forest of Madagascar, in full sun on sandstone, and only rarely on granite, growing in crevices between quartzite outcrops. It is strictly adapted to acidic substrates with a pH ranging from 3.5 to 4.5, and this strict requirement for acidic conditions has implications for its cultivation. It can also be found in evergreen sclerophyllous Uapaca woodland or in savanna zones dominated by scattered woody plants. It grows at altitudes between 1250 and 1900 meters, and occasionally up to 2000 meters. Common associated plant species that act as site indicators include Pachypodium densiflorum, Pachypodium eburneum from the family Apocynaceae, Aloe compressa and Aloe capitata from the family Asphodelaceae, and Euphorbia quartzicola from the family Euphorbiaceae, alongside members of Orchidaceae, Graminaea, Bryophyta, and lichens. The region where it occurs gets 1354 mm of annual rainfall and has 5 dry months per year. Average monthly temperatures range from 9 °C to 17 °C, while the annual average temperature is higher, falling between 13 °C and 18.4 °C.
