This distinctive Madagascan succulent cannot be confused with any other member of the Didiereaceae family to which it belongs, nor with any other succulent for that matter. Its dark-green to silvery stems have slender 2 – 3 mm diameter terminal branches with zig-zag segments about 2.5 cm long. Each bend is armed with a pair of small spines that can help the plant scramble up other vegetation. Small obovate leaves at the nodes are soon deciduous, only being present in the new growth. Small, ivory-colored, four-merous flowers are rarely seen and can be unisexual (female) or with both male and female parts depending on the plant. It can eventually reach tree proportions, 4 – 6 m tall, and forms a component of the thorn forests of SW and S Madagascar. We offer rooted cuts of HBG 23348, a single clone received from the Mildred E. Mathias BG at UCLA, January 11, 1968. It was grown from seed collected in Madagascar by Richard Felger. $12.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 89 (3), May-June, 2017