Portulaca halimoides
Portulaca suffrutescens
desert portulaca, purslane, silkcotton purslane
shrubby purslane
prostrate to suberect, often pinkish, succulent;
trichomes conspicuous at nodes and in inflorescence;
branches to 3–20(–25) cm.
stiffly erect, suffrutescent;
trichomes conspicuous at nodes and in inflorescence;
branches (8–)15–30 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, terete, (4–)8–20(–30) × 0.5–2.8 mm, apex acute to subacute; involucrelike leaves 6–9.
3–8 mm diam.;
petals yellow, obovate, 2–4 × 1–2.5 mm;
stamens 4–18;
stigmas 3–4(–5).
25 mm diam.;
petals orange, brown-orange, copper, or bronze, color often deepening at base, obcordate or emarginate, 7–12 × 4–5.5 mm;
stamens 25–35;
stigmas 4–7(–8).
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.
leaden, slightly iridescent, 0.5–0.65 mm;
surface cells loosely arranged in distinct rows, raised, stellate, tubercles usually present.
= 18.
= 8.
Portulaca halimoides
Portulaca suffrutescens
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.)
In the nonflowering condition, Portulaca suffrutescens resembles P. pilosa, although P. suffrutescens is stiffly erect. Another characteristic of this species is elongation of the internodes such that the overall impression of density of trichomes appears to be less than in P. pilosa. This feature will not be apparent in immature plants, or in those growing in dry conditions in which little internode elongation may have taken place. Immature seeds appear black, with rounded tubercles on the abaxial spine.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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