Origin and Habitat: Monadenium spectabileSN|26554]]SN|26554]] is endemic to the Iringa Escarpment, Iringa District, Tanzania. It has an extremely limited distribution.
Type locality: Tanzania, Iringa District, Iring-a-Dodoma road above Great Ruaha R. bridge.
Altitude: 800-1065 metres above sea level.
Habitat: It grows on sandy soil on rocky slopes in deciduous mixed woodland.

• Euphorbia spectabilis (S.Carter) Bruyns
• Monadenium spectabile S.Carter

Description: Monadenium spectabileSN|29581]]SN|26554]] is a stout succulent shrub, with an unbranched or few-branched stem with cactus-like features that generally don't come into growth until the summer. The flowers are remarkably spectacular, born at apex of stem, small, dark-pink, enveloped in scarlet bracts and borne on long, rich red, quadrangular stalk that bears fewer cartilaginous prickles. It makes an incredibly ornamental potted plant and highly attractive to collectors.
Note: Monadenium spectabileSN|22931]]SN|26554]] is intermediate between Monadenium magnificumSN|26554]]SN|22931]] and Monadenium arborescensSN|26554]]SN|29581]].
Stem Usually solitary, except when damaged, up to 3(-3,5) m tall and 3-5(-8) cm thick, pale green with a white waxy bloom.
Ribs: 5 vaguely angled with scattered spirally arranged projections or tubercles constellate by bunches of reddish brown usually branching spines 2-6 mm long.
Leaves: Stalk-less, somewhat fleshy, obovate, to 33 x 23 cm, apex rounded, margin entire or with a few small teeth towards the base, midrib keeled with scattered spines on the lower surface; basal leaves and those of young plants hairy on both surfaces, upper leaves completely hairless; leaf-scars to 1 cm wide.
Stipular spines: Minute, triangular about 1 mm long (or less).
Inflorescences (Cymes): Bright red peduncles to 15 cm. long, 3-5-angled, ± densely covered with reddish brown often branching cartilaginous spines to 4 mm long, 4-6-forked (or more), with cymes-branches to 6 cm. long progressively shorter above, spiny. Bract cup-shaped 6-8 mm long, notched to ±halfway between obtuse apices and sharply keeled rigidly toothed midribs.
Flowers: Cyathia up to 6 long and approximately 4 mm wide, with barrel-shaped involucres narrowed at the top. Nectar glands rim approx 2 mm high. Lobes subquadrate, obtuse, about 2 mm long midribs keeled.
Fruits (Capsules): Vaguely 3-lobed, about 5 mm across, exerted on a pedicel to 7 mm long,with crenulate ridges along each angle.
Seeds: Oblong, 4-angled, with truncate ends, about 2,8 mm long and 1,5 mm wide, grey notched.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) A. R. Smith, Susan Carter “Flora of Tropical East Africa – Euphorbiaceae” volume 2 CRC Press, 01/giu/1988
2) Urs Eggli “Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Dicotyledons” Springer, 2002
3) AFPD. “African Flowering Plants Database - Base de Donnees des Plantes a Fleurs D'Afrique.” [http://www.sanbi.org] © 2012 Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques & South African National Biodiversity Institute

Cultivation and Propagation: They must be grown very hard in the nursery as close to the natural conditions as possible. This ensures that they keep their compact habit.
Reproduction: Seeds/Cuttings.