According to Allen Dyer in his original description of Huernia procumbens, it was first collected and recorded by the Pretoria botanist and director of the Botanical Research Institute from 1963 to 1973, Leslie. E. Codd in 1949. It was later rediscovered by the ecologist H.P. van der Schijff near Pafuri in 1954, flowering in Pretoria in 1955 when it was illustrated by the well-known botanical artist Cythna Letty. The floral shape prompted Allan (R.A.) Dyer to name this plant as Duvalia procumbens in the Flowering Plants of Africa in 1956. Larry Leach, stapeliad expert, realised its rightful place and transferred it to the genus Huernia in the botanical magazine Bothalia in 1969. Allen Dyer was director of the Botanical Research institute in Pretoria from 1944 to 1963 with a keen interest in succulent plants.

Fig. 6. The type illustration of Huernia procumbens by Cythna Letty, representing the original plant collected by Manie van der Schijff in the Kruger National Park and published in the Flowering Plants of Africa in 1956.

The genus Huernia consists of about 60 species, usually small clustered plants occurring widespread in southern Africa, some with remarkably attractive flowers. The genus Huernia was named by Robert Brown in 1809, honouring Justus Heurnius, a Dutch misionary. Heurnius was responsible for illustrating the first stapeliad, Orbea variegata, from the Cape Peninsula in 1644. The species name procumbens is Latin meaning ‘prostrate’, pertaining to its flat-growing nature.

There are 4 other stapeliad species confined to cliffs in southern Africa the others include Huernia pendula, Tromotriche baylissii and T. choanantha from the south-eastern part of South Africa. Lavrania haagnerae is only known from dolomite cliffs near Sesfontein in Damaraland, Namibia. The latter a cliff hugger with ascending stems. From these Huernia procumbens is immediately distinguished by its ribbed tuberculate stem and pale lobed flowers becoming reflexed. Huernia pendula and the two species of Tromotriche have cup-shaped pendent flowers. Orbea longii is another stapeliad with elongated stems occurring on steep slopes in parts of the Eastern Cape and also on cliffs but not an obligatory cliff dweller. Huernia procumbens is closely related to Huernia tanganyikensis from Tanzania.

Huernia procumbens depicted here was collected at Lanner Gorge, Kruger National Park, in 2003 on an expedition investigating cliffs within the Kruger National Park and adjacent territory. Living plants were introduced to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and later Babylonstoren Farm. They grew rapidly and became mat-forming in the Succulent Nursery at Kirstenbosch growing among Welwitschia mirabilis and Lavrania haagnerae. Living specimens of Huernia procumbens can be seen in the Welwitschia Corner Unit of the Botanical Society Conservatory at Kirstenbosch (, and in the Succulent House at Babylonstoren Farm.

Fig. 7. Huernia procumbens growing as a ground cover in the Welwitschia House. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, with Welwitschia mirabilis and Lavrania haagnerae.