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The Cobas tree or Elephant tree – Pachypodium namaquanum - is a species of plant included in the genus Pachypodium.
This species is morphologically very similar to the Bottle tree – Pachypodium lealii. The main different feature is the almost absence of branches, until the very top of the thick trunk. Flowers and leaves alternatively cluster in this zone of the tree, usually tilted to the North (the direction of the sun exposure).
The Cobas tree is an endemic species of Namibia and southern Angola where it occupies the semi-desert areas and dry bushvelds, usually along rocky hillsides.
The plant produces a watery latex, rich in toxic alkaloids, used by local populations as arrow poison for hunting. In contact with the eyes can produce blindness.
Trees of Southern Africa by A. van Wyk and P. van WykReferences