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Zaleya pentandra
Zaleya pentandra is a low, spreading succulent herb from dry parts of Africa, Arabia and South Asia, sometimes called African purslane. It tolerates heat, drought and salty soil, so it needs sun, very little water and free-draining ground.
Zaleya pentandra is a prostrate perennial herb of the Aizoaceae family. It is widespread in semi-arid and arid climes and also in woodlands and can adapt to different ecological zones.
The species is native to Africa with further dispersal to the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, India, and Pakistan. It is sometimes called African purslane. It grows as a xero-halophyte herb in desert regions of Cholistan and Thar in Pakistan.
A material used by some locals in folk medicine, root and leaf extracts are applied to treat snake bites, cough or stomach issues. However, it is also considered highly toxic in some areas in India and as an invasive weed in regions of Pakistan.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Zaleya pentandra by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
