Huernia hystrix | |
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Growth form | |
Scientific classification
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Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Gentianales |
Family: | Apocynaceae |
Genus: | Huernia |
Species: | H. hystrix
|
Binomial name | |
Huernia hystrix | |
Synonyms [1] | |
List
|
Huernia hystrix, the porcupine huernia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae, native to southeastern Africa. [1] [2] A succulent, it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [3]
H. hystrix is extensively sold in Zulu markets throughout South Africa for its supposed medicinal and protective magical properties, [4] and in Eswatini as an alleged aphrodisiac. [5] Extracts from its stem and leaves may contain chemicals with anti-inflammatory properties, [6] It has been proposed as a treatment for people suffering from HIV/AIDS. [7]
It is highly drought-tolerant and grows well in pots, and so is a good species for ornamental xeriscaping. [8] Destructive whole-plant harvesting has led to concerns about its survival. [9] Researchers at University of KwaZulu-Natal Botanical Garden have discovered multiple shoots can be propagated from a single explant by treatment with Murashige and Skoog medium + 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid + 6-Benzylaminopurine with 95% survival rates. [6]
The following subspecies are accepted: [1]
Common Names ... Toad Plant
Huernia hystrix | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Growth form | |
Scientific classification
![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Gentianales |
Family: | Apocynaceae |
Genus: | Huernia |
Species: | H. hystrix
|
Binomial name | |
Huernia hystrix | |
Synonyms [1] | |
List
|
Huernia hystrix, the porcupine huernia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae, native to southeastern Africa. [1] [2] A succulent, it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [3]
H. hystrix is extensively sold in Zulu markets throughout South Africa for its supposed medicinal and protective magical properties, [4] and in Eswatini as an alleged aphrodisiac. [5] Extracts from its stem and leaves may contain chemicals with anti-inflammatory properties, [6] It has been proposed as a treatment for people suffering from HIV/AIDS. [7]
It is highly drought-tolerant and grows well in pots, and so is a good species for ornamental xeriscaping. [8] Destructive whole-plant harvesting has led to concerns about its survival. [9] Researchers at University of KwaZulu-Natal Botanical Garden have discovered multiple shoots can be propagated from a single explant by treatment with Murashige and Skoog medium + 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid + 6-Benzylaminopurine with 95% survival rates. [6]
The following subspecies are accepted: [1]
Common Names ... Toad Plant