''Portulacaria pygmaea'' (previously ''Ceraria pygmaea''), also known as the pygmy porkbush, is a small-leaved dwarf

succulent plant In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

found on the border between

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

Description

It is a small, compact, soft-wooded, dwarf shrub with Unisexual flowers(dioecious). Its blue-green leaves are semi-evergreen. Its tiny compact branches spread, and often droop, staying close to the ground. It also develops a thick caudex or root-stock, which has led to it being a popular bonsai specimen. Within the genus ''

Portulacaria ''Portulacaria'' is a genus of succulent plant, classified in its own subfamily Portulacarioideae in the family Didiereaceae. It is indigenous to southern Africa. Taxonomy The genus was previously placed in the family Portulacaceae, but accordin ...

'' it is most closely related to its larger sister-species ''

Portulacaria fruticulosa ''Portulacaria fruticulosa'' (previously ''Ceraria fruticulosa'' or ''Ceraria schaeferi'') is a succulent plant found on the border between Namibia and South Africa. Description It is a soft-wooded deciduous shrub with flat, round succulent leav ...

''.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.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q19630702 pygmaea Flora of Namibia Flora of South Africa Garden plants of Africa Caudiciform plants Plants used in bonsai