Portulaca halimoides
Portulaca biloba
desert portulaca, purslane, silkcotton purslane
Cuban purslane
prostrate to suberect, often pinkish, succulent;
trichomes conspicuous at nodes and in inflorescence;
branches to 3–20(–25) cm.
prostrate to suberect, somewhat woody toward base;
trichomes sparse at nodes, sparse to moderate in inflorescence;
branches to 25 cm.
blades linear to oblong-linear, terete to hemispheric, 2–14(–20) × 0.4–2(–3) mm, apex obtuse to acute; involucrelike leaves 4–8.
blades linear to lanceolate, terete, 6–14 × 0.5–3 mm, apex obtuse; involucrelike leaves 5–7.
3–8 mm diam.;
petals yellow, obovate, 2–4 × 1–2.5 mm;
stamens 4–18;
stigmas 3–4(–5).
20–25 mm diam.;
petals connate basally, purple-red, narrowly obovate-cuneate, 10–12 × 6–9 mm, apex deeply 2-lobed;
stamens 40 or more;
stigmas 4–6(–7).
ovoid, 1.1–2 mm diam.
subglobose, 2.5–5 mm diam.
gray or leaden, 0.3–0.5(–0.6) mm diam.;
lateral surfaces with densely arranged, flattened, stellate cells, tubercles absent; usually with a smooth, occasionally papillose, spine abaxially.
gray, 0.7–0.8 mm diam.;
surface cells mostly stellate, tuberculate.
= 18.
= 18.
Portulaca halimoides
Portulaca biloba
Young plants of Portulaca halimoides in desert areas may exhibit reddish stems and sepals. As the yellow petals fade, the persistent, reddish sepals cover the top of the capsule, giving the false impression of red flowers. Immature seeds are reddish brown to brownish black and may be papillose. Morphologic variability occurs in relation to habitat differences over the range of this species. Desert conditions produce depauperate plants; more robust specimens occur in Central America and South America. The type of P. halimoides is conspecific with P. parvula A. Gray within this context. A. Gray (1887) cited P. halimoides from the Florida Keys; that is unconfirmed and is likely a confusion with P. rubricaulis.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Portulaca biloba, previously known only from Cuba, is presently known from five sites in three Georgia counties. The infrequency of chasmogamous flowers suggests that it is “out of habitat.” The earliest collection is from 1965, but the date of its first introduction to the United States is unknown. One theory of introduction suggests seeds brought in by tropical storms (J. F. Matthews et al. 1991).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
