Portulaca amilis
Portulaca smallii
Paraguayan purslane
Small's purslane
prostrate to suberect;
trichomes dense at nodes and in inflorescence;
branches 5–25 cm.
prostrate to suberect, 2–15 cm;
trichomes conspicuous at nodes and in inflorescence.
blades oblanceolate, spatulate, or obovate, flattened, 5–30 × 2–12 mm, apex acute to submucronate; involucrelike leaves 6–8(–9).
blades linear to lanceolate, terete to hemispheric, 4–15 × 0.5–3 mm, apex subacute to subobtuse; involucrelike leaves 7–10(–12).
5–20 mm diam.;
petals pink to purple, obovate, 7–10 × 4–8 mm;
stamens 15–45;
stigmas 7–10.
6–12 mm diam.;
petals medium pink to almost white, oblong-elliptic, 3–5 × 1.5 mm, apex acute;
stamens 8–13;
stigmas 4–5.
ovoid, 2–5.5 mm diam.
subglobose, 2–3.5 mm diam.
black, orbiculate, flattened, 0.4–0.6 mm diam., shiny;
surface cells obscurely stellate, tuberculate to ± smooth.
black or leaden, elongate, flattened, 0.6–0.8 mm;
surface cells stellate, tuberculate.
= 18.
= 18.
Portulaca amilis
Portulaca smallii
Prior to 1981, Portulaca amilis had been included conceptually within P. pilosa (A. E. Radford et al. 1968). However, W. S. Judd and R. P. Wunderlin (1981) correctly identified P. amilis as an introduction from South America. It tends to occur in the sandy soils at the junction of the coastal plain and the piedmont provinces, but it is also spreading north and south through the coastal plain, where it has exhibited a weedy nature, as shown by collection data from Virginia to Florida. Portulaca amilis has only pink to purple petals in the United States; C. D. Legrand (1962) reported a yellow form of the species in South America. A. F. Clewell (1985) incorrectly gave the petal color of P. amilis as yellow. J. F. Matthews and P. A. Levins (1985) traced the spread of the species in the southeast and theorized as to the means of introduction.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Portulaca smallii has been considered a species of recent origin on granite outcrops. D. J. Cotter and R. B. Platt (1959) suggested that it is derived from P. pilosa, particularly considering the chromosome number of 2n = 16 reported by E. Steiner (1944) equaling that of P. pilosa. J. F. Matthews et al. (1994) examined that population of P. smallii researched by Steiner and found the chromosome number to be 2n = 18. This new determination, along with the lighter petal color, larger seed size, and distinct habitat, separates this species from P. pilosa.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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