The MGS Forum

Plant identification => Plant identification => Topic started by: MikeHardman on July 25, 2019, 08:42:26 PM

Title: very spiny-trunked floriferous tree ID’d by John J as Pachypodium lamerei
Post by: MikeHardman on July 25, 2019, 08:42:26 PM

My friend in Neo Chorio (western Cyprus) has this excellent specimen in her garden.
But what is it?

It is almost 3m tall, it has leaves a bit like frangipani and flowers also a bit like frangipani but much bigger. I can't tell if they are fragrant because I cannot get past the spines!
I am not sure if the petals have a turbinate arrangement or not.

It is the only one of these I have seen during my ten years in Cyprus.
This specimen could be up to 25 years old (the age of the villa), so it has survived a range of abnormal weather conditions, and it has done so without showing any scars. So it is clearly suited to the climate in Cyprus.

//Mike

Title: Re: very spiny-trunked floriferous tree...
Post by: John J on July 26, 2019, 04:43:12 AM

Mike, try Pachypodium lamerei.

Title: Re: very spiny-trunked floriferous tree...
Post by: MikeHardman on July 26, 2019, 06:43:47 AM

Thank you John!
I might have known you'd know.
Glad to see it is a relative of Plumeria (Apocynaceae).

At http://www.pachypodium.org, I see two candidates:
- P. lamerii (spines in clusters of 3)
- P. rutenbergianum (spines in clusters of 2)
(though not all the photos there may be representative,
but there are plenty of other images online)

As far as I can see, zooming in on my photo, the spines are in clusters of 2,
which makes it P. rutenbergianum. But I will check that.

//Mike

Title: Re: very spiny-trunked floriferous tree ID’d by John J as Pachypodium lamerei
Post by: Fleur Pavlidis on July 26, 2019, 08:14:23 AM

Fat leg from Lamia?

Title: Re: very spiny-trunked floriferous tree ID’d by John J as Pachypodium lamerei
Post by: John J on July 26, 2019, 09:38:09 AM

Mike, the website that you posted has an incorrect spelling, it is Pachypodium lamerei, but that is insignificant.
A cousin of Thea's has 2 in her garden that are over 2 metres tall. As far as we can remember they are a little over 20 years old.  I have also seen others, of varying sizes, around the island. P. lamerei is apparently far more commonly grown than P. rutenbergianum which can grow to a height of 8 metres, so I think I would stick my neck out and go with the former.
As for the spines, the specimens that I know have them in threes, 2 pointing downwards and a much smaller one pointing out, if this helps.

Title: Re: very spiny-trunked floriferous tree ID’d by John J as Pachypodium lamerei
Post by: MikeHardman on July 29, 2019, 09:36:36 PM

Thank you, John.

I confirm that the spines are in clusters of three, so it is P. lamerei. See photo.

The owner tells me it was bought from London Supermarket/Nursery, Mesogi Avenue, Paphos; many years ago.

//Mike

Title: Re: very spiny-trunked floriferous tree ID’d by John J as Pachypodium lamerei
Post by: Alisdair on July 30, 2019, 08:52:12 AM

Splendid photo of those wicked spines, Mike!