Portulacaria afra Jacq.

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Synonyms:
Common names: Dwarf jade plant (English) Elephant's food (English)
Frequency:
Status:
Description:
Densely branched shrub, 2-4 m tall. Leaves broadly ovate, glossy, succulent, 1-2.5 cm long. Flowers pink or mauve, produced in profusion, c. 2 mm long, borne in fascicles on a short axis, 3-7 cm long. Fruit ellipsoid, winged.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: afra from Africa.
Habitat:
Altitude range:
Flowering time:Sep-Nov
Worldwide distribution: Kenya, Mozambique, Eswatini and South Africa.
Mozambique distribution:
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Literature:

Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 112. (Includes a picture).

Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 201. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Portulacaria afra:

Our websites:

Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Portulacaria afra
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Portulacaria afra

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Portulacaria afra
African Plant Database: Portulacaria afra
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Portulacaria afra
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Portulacaria afra
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Portulacaria afra
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Portulacaria afra
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Portulacaria afra
JSTOR Plant Science: Portulacaria afra
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Portulacaria afra
Plants of the World Online: Portulacaria afra
Tropicos: Portulacaria afra
Wikipedia: Portulacaria afra


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave 2007-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Mozambique: Species information: Portulacaria afra.
https://www.mozambiqueflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=166710, retrieved 29 March 2024

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