Pachypodium ambongense belongs to the dogbane family Apocynaceae, which has recently been merged with the milkweed family Asclepiadaceae. It was first published as a species of the genus Pachypodium in 1924 by the botanist Henri Louis Poisson.
Having a habit as a shrub that is 1 m (3.28 feet) to 2 m (6.56 feet) and bottle-shaped, Pachypodium ambongense inhabits the western low, open deciduous forest of Madagascar on a substrate of Mesozoic calcareous rock. It is fairly rare to the landscape, perhaps, suggesting a more specialized environment needed for it to grow. It is known by common name in Madagascar as "Songosongo" or "Betono."