Alluaudia

Alluaudia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Didiereaceae. There are six species, all endemic to Madagascar.[1]

For the beetle genus, see Alluaudia (beetle).

Alluaudia
Alluaudia procera
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Didiereaceae
Subfamily: Didiereoideae
Genus: Alluaudia
(Drake) Drake
Species

6, see text

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

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).[3]

Species
ImageScientific nameDistribution
Alluaudia ascendens (Drake) Drake 1903Madagascar
Alluaudia comosa (Drake) Drake 1903SW Madagascar.
Alluaudia dumosa (Drake) Drake 1903southern coastal Madagascar
Alluaudia humbertii Choux 1934Madagascar
Alluaudia montagnacii Rauh 1961Madagascar
Alluaudia procera (Drake) Drake 1903Madagascar


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. 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.


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