| Portulacaria armiana | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Didiereaceae |
| Genus: | Portulacaria |
| Species: | P. armiana |
| Binomial name | |
| Portulacaria armiana van Jaarsv. | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Portulacaria armiana, also known as the whipstick-porkbush, is a species of succulent plant native to southwestern Namibia. [1]
It grows as a low shrub. It can be distinguished from its relatives by its large, grey-green waxy leaves, and its extremely tall inflorescence ("whipstick"), which rises unusually high (up to 8 metres (26 ft)).
Within the genus Portulacaria , it is most closely related to its sister-species Portulacaria namaquensis . [2]
Its natural habitat is the lower reaches of the Orange River valley of Namibia, near the border with South Africa. In this extremely arid, winter-rainfall area, it favours mildly acidic sands on high granite outcrops.
It grows in full sun in extremely well-drained soil, and can be propagated by seed or cuttings. [3]