but two species in the genus have stamens within the flower. When pollinated, the flower produces a pale to dark brown fruit composed of two separate mericarps, which is whitish to pale brown inside when dried. The seeds are pale to medium brown, with a lighter spot on their apex. All Pachypodium species share certain basic characteristics; they use enlarged, spine protected trunks for water storage, enabling them to inhabit dry microenvironments. There is, however, substantial variation on these basic characteristics, and no single shape or pattern of branching is shared by the entire genus. In general, branching is flexible even within a species, allowing each individual specimen to develop as best suits its microenvironment. This adaptability allows Pachypodium species to occupy marginal microenvironments which provide only limited means of survival. External sources Rapanarivo, S.H.J.V.; Lavranos, J.J.; Leeuwenberg, A.J.M.; AND Röösli, W. Pachypodium (Apocynaceae) Taxonomy, habitats, cultivation. "Taxonomic revision of the genus Pachypodium" S.H.J.V. Rapanarivo & A.J.M. Leeuwenberg; "The habitats of Pachypodium species" S.H.J.V. Rapanarivo; "Cultivation" W. Röösli. (A.A. Balkema: Rotterdam, Brookfield; 1999) Pachypodium, morphology of