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Portulacaria afra Jacq.

Synonyms

Portulacaria portulacaria

Common names

Dwarf jade plant, elephant bush, porkbush, spekboom

Extract from Wikipedia article

Portulacaria afra (known as elephant bush, dwarf jade plant, porkbush and spekboom in Afrikaans) is a small-leaved succulent plant found in South Africa.

AI-generated description

Portulacaria afra, also known as Elephant Bush or Dwarf Jade, is a succulent shrub native to South Africa. In Qatar, it is commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant due to its drought tolerance and ability to thrive in hot, dry conditions. It has small, rounded leaves and a compact growth habit, making it suitable for gardens, parks, and indoor spaces. Studies in Qatar have shown that P. afra can survive with minimal watering and high temperatures, making it an ideal choice for water-conserving landscaping in the region.

Succulent plant Elephant Food (Portulacaria afra) in a park at Al Rafiei Street in Onaiza area. Doha, Qatar, February 16, 2016
Meshrif St, Doha, Qatar

Ornamental plant Elephant Food (Portulacaria afra) in a park at Al Rafiei Street in Onaiza area. Doha, Qatar, March 13, 2016
Meshrif St, Doha, Qatar

Elephant Food (Portulacaria afra) in Dahl Al Hamam Park at Al Markhiya Street. Doha, Qatar, March 21, 2016
Al Baihaqi St, Doha, Qatar

AI-generated summary of observations

Observations of Portulacaria afra in Qatar show that the plant is commonly found in parks and ornamental settings. On February 16, 2016, the succulent plant was observed in a park at Al Rafiei Street in Onaiza area, Doha. A month later, on March 13, 2016, it was again spotted in the same park, indicating its ability to thrive in the local environment. Further observations on March 21, 2016, revealed the presence of Elephant Food in Dahl Al Hamam Park at Al Markhiya Street, suggesting that the plant is widely cultivated in Qatar's urban landscapes. The plant's appearance and growth were noted during these observations, providing insights into its adaptability and popularity as an ornamental species in the region. The plant's ability to survive in Qatar's climate is notable, given its origins in southern Africa.

Links

• Flora of Qatar.
• Unknown plants or plants without names.
• Duplicate and extra pictures of plants.
• Earlier version of collection of plants.
• Other collections of pictures from Qatar: Lizards of Qatar, Cats of Qatar, Camels of Qatar, and Fish of Qatar.
• Picture archives.
• Home page of A. Sergeev.

Outside links

• Portulacaria afra, Wikipedia article
• Portulacaria afra from www.theplantlist.org
• Ekhlas M. M. Abdel Bary, The Flora of Qatar, Volume I: The Dicotyledons. Doha 2012
• Flora of Qatar, Volume II: The Monocotyledons
• Illustrated Checklist of the Flora of Qatar. John Norton et al. 2009
• Qatar eNature. Flora
• Ali Al-Rawi, Flowering plants of Kuwait, 1985
• Plants of Kuwait
• Flora of Saudi Arabia, Al-Qassim Region
• Flora of Eastern Saudi Arabia by Rain and Dust at Flickr
• Plants of South-Western Morocco
• Pictures from Qatar (Flickr/cpmkutty)
• Arabian plants by Gary Brown
• Flora of Israel

How the web page was created

• A list of plants with their common names was written using online sources and books.
• Web pages were written by a program consisting of several scripts.
• Full names, synonyms, and classification of plants were found online from catalogueoflife.org and theplantlist.org using a script.
• Pictures of plants were selected from a database using a script.
• This web page was written using a script.

Acknowledgements

QNHG (Qatar Natural History Group) and associated people, for a possibility to participate in their field excursions and to learn about local nature.