On the dormant volcano Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, there are many “unique” plant species with incredibly bizarre shapes.
Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano located in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain in the world, standing at 5,895 meters above sea level. Kilimanjaro is part of Kilimanjaro National Park and is a renowned climbing destination globally.
Dendrosenecio kilimanjari plant.
As the highest mountain in Africa, Kilimanjaro has a quite unique climate, which allows for the existence of many rare “mutant” trees that are hardly found anywhere else on Earth.
One of the most remarkable species is called Dendrosenecio kilimanjari. This peculiar plant resembles a hybrid between a cactus and a pineapple. However, Dendrosenecio kilimanjari is classified as a flowering plant in the daisy family.
Dendrosenecio kilimanjari is classified as a flowering plant in the daisy family.
The Dendrosenecio kilimanjari was first described by H.H. Johnston in 1884. This plant can grow up to 10 meters tall and forms a woody trunk (about 40 cm in diameter) topped with large star-shaped leaves. These trunks branch out after flowering and over time develop similarly to giant candles. Mature plants can have up to 80 branches.
This unusual plant is a member of the dandelion family, and scientists believe they evolved from a common plant about a million years ago. They may have originally been a ground-level plant, but over time, their seeds were gradually carried to higher altitudes and eventually evolved into a new species.
To survive in such high-altitude terrain with extremely cold temperatures at night, these plants have evolved to store water in their trunks while their leaves fold down when temperatures drop.
These trunks branch out after flowering and develop over time.
In addition to their natural “frost resistance”, these plants also possess the ability to insulate themselves through their dry and dead leaf canopies (which is part of the reason they look so unusual).
Dendrosenecio kilimanjari grows in the humid highland grasslands at altitudes of 2,700 to 3,350 meters and is only found on Mount Kilimanjaro.
Kilimanjaro features three conical volcanic peaks: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. It is a dormant stratovolcano located in northeastern Tanzania. Although it is not the tallest mountain in the world, Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain in the world and the highest peak in Africa. Dubbed the “island in the sky,” Kilimanjaro boasts enormous biodiversity with endemic species, including Dendrosenecio and other flora adapted to high-altitude conditions. |
