Huernia hystrix, the porcupine huernia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae, native to southeastern Africa. A succulent, it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Distribution H. hystrix is extensively sold in Zulu markets throughout South Africa for its supposed medicinal and protective magical properties,Hutchings A, Scott AH, Lewis G, Cunningham AB (1996) Zulu medicinal plants. An inventory. University of Natal Press, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa and in Eswatini as an alleged aphrodisiac.Long, C. "Swaziland’s flora: siSwati names and uses." Swaziland National Trust Commission: Mbambane, Swaziland (2005).
Extracts from its stem and leaves may contain chemicals with anti-inflammatory properties, It has been proposed as a treatment for people suffering from HIV/AIDS., since abandoned.
Habitation It is highly drought-tolerant and grows well in pots, and so is a good species for ornamental xeriscaping.Al-Turki TA (2002) An initiative in exploration and management of plant genetic diversity in Saudi Arabia. In: Engels JMM, Ramanatha Rao V, Brown AHD, Jackson MT (eds) Managing plant genetic diversity. IPGRI, Rome, Italy, pp 339–349
Threat Destructive whole-plant harvesting has led to concerns about its survival.
Propagation 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.
Subtaxa The following subspecies are accepted: Huernia hystrix subsp. hystrix – KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Provinces, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe Huernia hystrix subsp. parvula (L.C.Leach) Bruyns – KwaZulu-Natal, Cape Provinces
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