Portulacaria namaquensis or wolftoon leaves

The (summer) deciduous leaves of Portulacaria namaquensis grow almost stalkless in pairs, groups or small fascicles. Their petioles are said to be only 0,25 mm long.

They grow in scattered black patches (tiny spur-branchlets called brachyblasts), spreading slightly sideways in oval shapes on the pale stem surfaces. The stout stems fork equally, growing erect and appearing out of proportion to the smallness of the leaves.

The small, simple, fleshy leaves are narrow, almost cylindrical to obovate or club-shaped with blunt tips. They are green and hairless, becoming up to 5 mm long and 2 mm wide (Mannheimer and Curtis, (Eds.), 2009; Coates Palgrave, 2002; Frandsen, 2017; iNaturalist; http://cactus-art.biz; www.llifle.com).