Portulacaria afra Jacq. — A potential browse plant

One of the most valuable South African fodder trees is Portulacaria afra Jacq. This large shrub or small tree is included in the list of fodder trees of South Africa by Palmer and Pitman (1961). Its most common vernacular name is spekboom. The name Gya-nese is associated with the plant in the Cape Province (Sim, 1907). In Zululand, it is known as inDibili-enkula, isAmbilane (Zulu) and iGwanishe (Xhosa). It is also known as "elephants' food" because elephants consume large quantities of the foliage (Palmer and Pitman, 1961). Records of the Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture indicate that spekboom has been introduced into the United States over a period of seven decades. Despite the reported successful establishment of spekboom in southern California soon after the turn of the century it has met with only limited success in the continental United States. The economic and aesthetic value of the plant is enhanced by its widespread distribution and multifarious utilization. Portulacaria afra should be evaluated further in the southwestern United States as a range plant in view of its widespread distribution in dry areas of South Africa and for its known value for browse.