Anacampseros papyracea

Botanical identity and natural origin of Anacampseros papyracea

Anacampseros papyracea occurs naturally from Namibia to South Africa's Cape Provinces, where it grows on dry rocky ground, including quartz-rich areas of the Karoo. It may also be listed as Avonia papyracea.

How to care for Anacampseros papyracea

The fine, shallow roots of Anacampseros papyracea suit a small, shallow pot with drainage holes. Provide full sun or similarly strong direct light, with a gradual transition after moving the plant. Keep the air fairly dry and allow good air movement around the closely packed stems.

Temperature: Give Anacampseros papyracea stable conditions around 20–30 °C; move it to a warmer position before temperatures remain under 5 °C.

Humidity: Average room humidity around 40–50% is suitable. Keep the plant in a well-ventilated position.

Water modestly only after the mix has dried through. Let all excess water escape, and feed about once a month with a high-potassium cactus or succulent fertiliser while fresh growth is visible.

When growth slows in cooler conditions, keep the mix dry and pause feeding. Give it a cool, dry rest in a frost-free indoor position. Repot only when the fine roots have filled the available space, choosing the smallest shallow pot that comfortably holds the plant. A small stem section that already has its own roots can be separated and potted in the same gritty mix.

Problems and solutions for Anacampseros papyracea

• Growth stopping while the mix stays damp: the fine roots may be struggling with excess moisture. Let the mix dry completely and make sure both the pot and the medium drain quickly before watering again.
• Brown, soft roots or a collapsing stem base: rot has probably started. Cut affected tissue back to firm healthy growth with a clean tool and discard the rotten material. If only the roots were affected and a healthy rooted stem remains, repot it in fresh, dry, gritty mix. If the cut extends into the stem base, let that wound dry and seal before potting or rooting the healthy section.
• White cottony insects among the papery scales: mealybugs can be difficult to spot between the overlapping stipules. Move the plant away from other succulents, inspect the spaces between the scales carefully and use a treatment labelled for mealybugs on succulents if insects remain. Repeat it only as directed on the label.

Keep Anacampseros papyracea away from children and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its effects after chewing or swallowing are unclear, and plant material can still cause an upset stomach.
• Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or do not settle.

Where does the name Anacampseros papyracea come from?

The genus name Anacampseros comes from an old Greek plant name once believed to restore lost love. The Latin epithet papyracea means papery.

Carl Linnaeus established the genus Anacampseros in 1758 in Opera Varia, page 232.

Eduard Fenzl first described Anacampseros papyracea in 1840 in Annalen des Wiener Museums der Naturgeschichte, volume 2, page 295; Ernst Heinrich Friedrich Meyer had proposed the name.