Pachypodium lamerei is a stem-succulent tree in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae), endemic to Madagascar. In the wild it reaches about 2 to 5 m, sometimes more, with a swollen, water-storing trunk covered in sharp spines up to 5 cm long arranged in groups of three. Long, narrow leaves cluster at the top of the stem and are shed in the dry season, while the stem keeps photosynthesizing by CAM (a water-saving pathway that takes up carbon dioxide at night). Mature plants, usually around 1.8 m or taller, bear clusters of white tubular flowers up to about 7 cm long. Damaged stems exude a milky sap that is considered toxic. All Pachypodium species are listed in CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), and this species is in Appendix II.
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