[John J]

Alice, I'm probably guilty of falling into the age-old trap, a question is easy when you know the answer. I also have to admit to possibly not being a conventional gardener, one with a neat, orderly garden where plants are matched for colour, texture, etc. I like to experiment, to try out unusual plants, ones that are perhaps not supposed to thrive under the conditions that are prevalent in my area. I fail, a lot, but when something succeeds it can be very satisfying.
To prove that I do have this plant.

[JTh]

If this was easy, then I wonder what a diificult one be.

[John J]

In my defence, your honour, I did not originally mention the word easy. Didn't it prove to be a 'nice, gentle mental exercise'?

[Alisdair]

A fantastic trek you've taken us on, John, with wonderful clues - and brilliant of Alice to home in on it so accurately.
Very many thanks!

[Alice]

What a strange plant! The vegetative part looks familiar but the flower spike looks most unusual, almost as if you have glued it on, John!

[John J]

Not guilty, your honour, that's exactly as nature designed it.

[John J]

Incidently, I also have Pachypodium lamerei which has scented white flowers that have the more typical shape of the Apocynaceae family. Unfortunately, as yet they are too small to flower. A neighbour has 2 of them that are at least 2 metres tall and flower profusely every year. She was threatening to dig them out and throw them away until I told her that I had seen smaller ones on sale for over 150 euros each. Anyway, a couple of years ago I took a seed pod from one of them and sowed the seed, I ended up with around 50 tiny seedlings. I kept a few and handed out the others to anyone prepared to take them off my hands! I'll try to remember to get a photo the next time I see hers in flower.