Alluaudia

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Alluaudia
Alluaudia Procera Ifaty Madagascar.jpg
Alluaudia procera
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Didiereaceae
Subfamily: Didiereoideae
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]

Contents

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

Species of Alluaudia are dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. [3] 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). [4]

Species

ImageScientific nameDistribution
Alluaudia ascendens 0zz.jpg Alluaudia ascendens (Drake) Drake 1903Madagascar
Alluaudia comosa kz1.jpg Alluaudia comosa (Drake) Drake 1903SW Madagascar.
Alluaudia dumosa 0zz.jpg Alluaudia dumosa (Drake) Drake 1903southern coastal Madagascar
Alluaudia humbertii -Jardin des plantes de Nantes (6).jpg Alluaudia humbertii Choux 1934Madagascar
01 20120515ortopallavicini-239.JPG Alluaudia montagnacii Rauh 1961Madagascar
Allaudia procera c-2751 01.jpg Alluaudia procera (Drake) Drake 1903Madagascar


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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. Applequist, W. L.; Wallace, R. S. (2000). "Phylogeny of the Madagascan endemic family Didiereaceae". Plant Systematics and Evolution. 221 (3–4): 157–166. Bibcode:2000PSyEv.221..157A. doi:10.1007/BF01089291. S2CID   33830803.
  4. 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.