Pyrenacantha

Morphological Summary

Genus of lianas and climbing shrubs in the family Icacinaceae, distributed mainly in tropical and eastern Africa. They are dioecious plants with simple leaves and small flowers, notable for their enormous basal tuberous caudex that can reach impressive dimensions in mature individuals. The caudex acts as a water and nutrient storage organ, allowing survival during prolonged droughts. Highly valued in caudiciform plant collections for the monumentality of the caudex and the rarity of the genus.