Monsonia lavrani

Monsonia lavrani is a succulent shrublet with thick stems. The plant reaches a height of 30 cm, the single stem branching repeatedly above ground.

Stems become about 2,5 cm in diameter, angling out obliquely from the base to give the plant a tiny tree-like shape. The stems are olive green with a waxy covering. A fierce protective covering of formidable spines is scattered along the stems on small, round, mound-like bases. The spines are long and whitish, tapering to needle-like tips.

The species grows in southern Namibia on limestone in mountainous desert conditions.

The Monsonia genus, comprising 40 species, was known as Sarcocaulon until 1996, before M. lavrani was first described (iSpot; www.bihrmann.com).