Ceraria namaquensis

Portulacaria namaquensis
Ceraria namaquensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Didiereaceae
Genus: Portulacaria
Species: P. namaquensis
Binomial name
Portulacaria namaquensis
(Sond.) H.Pearson & Stephens


Portulacaria namaquensis, with the common names Namaqua porkbush and Namaqua portulacaria, is a species of succulent shrub, native to the border between South Africa and Namibia. [1] [2] [3]

The plant's current name is Portulacaria namaquensis, due to recent phylogenetic studies have shown that it is in fact located within the genus Portulacaria. [4]

Its closest relative is the species Portulacaria armiana[4][5]

Distribution

The natural habitat of this species extends along the Orange River valley, along the border between Namibia and South Africa. It has also been recorded near the coast slightly further north in Namibia. [6]

This is an extremely arid, winter-rainfall area. In cultivation, it requires extremely well-drained soil, and is usually grown grafted onto a root-stock of the more resilient Portulacaria afra.

Description

Detail of the distinctive leaves

It reaches heights of 1.3 to 1.8 meters, and typically has small, ovoid, club-shaped leaves.

These succulent leaves are deciduous, and densely coat its stems. The stems are stout and grow upwards, forking. They are very slow-growing. Its flowers are usually unisexual.

References

  1. ↑ The Plant List entry: Ceraria namaquensis —Portulacaria namaquensis
  2. ↑ Encyclopedia of Life entry: Ceraria namaquensis —Portulacaria namaquensis
  3. ↑ JSTOR entry: Ceraria namaquensis —Portulacaria namaquensis
  4. 1 2 P.Bruyns, M.Oliveira-Neto, G.F. Melo de Pinna, C.Klak: Phylogenetic relationships in the Didiereaceae with special reference to subfamily Portulacarioideae. Taxon 63 (5). October 2014. 1053-1064.
  5. ↑ Cactus-art.biz
  6. ↑ Annals of the South African Museum 9: 33. 1912. (Ann. S. African Mus.)

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