Common Name: Christmas tree plant. Tamil Name: Malakalli
Christmas tree plant is not a tree but a sub-shrub that grows to a height of about 1 meter. The plant often dies back to a tuber and regrows. The plant is succulent with a watery sap. The leaves are highly variable; most of the leaves are seen around the below-portion of the plant. The lower leaves are deeply lobed linear and lanceolate; the lobes are very deep-often look like a compound leaf. The upper leaves (towards the inflorescence) are much smaller with shallow lobes. The leaves are fleshy and have a water sap; they are about 8-10 cm long. The inflorescence is in the form of a much branched cyme at the top most portion of the plant. The flower stalk measure around 5 mm. The flower has 4 yellow colored petals each ending in a shape point; the flower measurers around 8 mm across; and 1.5 cm long. The calyx has four sepal teeth. The fruit is in the form of a follicle and contain several very small seeds. The plant can be seen around dry mountain slopes of Western Ghats. They prefer to grow around rocky areas. Christmas tree plant is sold in plant nurseries in Tamilnadu as an ornamental plant.
