At first glance this looks like a stunted ballochia amoena, but the leaves are shaped differently. The leaves of ballochia amoena are linear, narrowly elliptic, and around 3 times longer than wide. The leaves of ballochia rotundifolia are oblong to orbicular and always less than twice as long as broad.
Ballochia rotundifolia is a small shrub, densely branched and rarely grows taller than up to half a meter. When the grasses are exhausted by the goats they will browse this species, giving it the appearance seen here.
So far this year the sufficient winter rains have resulted in excellent growth of grasses, and content goats. But as soon as they have exhausted the stock of grasses they will move on to their second most favourite species, one of which is ballochias. This specimen has managed to produced some flowers, and if lucky it will produce ripe seeds.
It is endemic to Socotra.
Elevation: 657 meters.
Last updated on 8 November 2024
