Portulaca pilosa
Portulaca rubricaulis
chisme, kiss-me-quick
redstem purslane
prostrate, suberect to erect, succulent;
trichomes conspicuous at nodes and in inflorescence;
branches 3–25 cm.
erect or suberect, fleshy, succulent;
trichomes inconspicuous at nodes and in inflorescence;
branches 5–35 cm.
blades linear to oblong-lanceolate, terete to hemispheric, 5–20 × 1–3 mm, apex acute; involucrelike leaves 6–9.
blades linear to lanceolate, terete to hemispheric, 5–15 × 1–3(–5) mm, apex acute; involucrelike leaves (3–)5–8.
5–12 mm diam.;
petals dark pink to purple, obovate, 3–5(–7) × 1.5–3 mm;
stamens 5–12(–37);
stigmas 3–5(–6).
9–15 mm diam.;
petals yellow, obovate to oval-obovate, 5–8 × 2–5 mm, apex rounded;
stamens 12–30;
stigmas 5–7.
ovoid, 1.5–4.3 mm diam.
subglobose, 3.3–5.5 mm diam.
black or leaden, orbiculate (0.4–)0.5–0.6 mm diam.;
surface cells loosely arranged, short-tuberculate and stellate to rounded-stellate;
tubercles long or absent.
brownish red, dark brown, or rarely black, orbiculate or elongate, flattened, 0.6–0.65 mm;
surface cells slightly raised, obscurely stellate, sometimes granular, tubercles absent.
= 8, 16.
= 16.
Portulaca pilosa
Portulaca rubricaulis
Portulaca pilosa is a highly variable species. It exhibits morphologic variability during development, with immature plants having wider (to 4 mm), longer, and flatter leaves than mature specimens. Mature leaves are narrower, shorter, and hemispheric or terete in cross section. The Linnaean drawing of the type specimen may be an immature plant. Morphologic variability also occurs in relation to habitat differences over the large geographic range of this species. Plants growing in dry habitats have the greatest density of hairs; plants growing in moist habitats are less pilose. Plants with very dense hairs on old growth will, under more moist conditions, produce new growth with fewer hairs. Growth habit is also affected by habitat. Plants growing in warm, moist environments tend to branch quickly into a spreading habit, with erect growth following secondarily. Plants in cool, dry habitats grow erect first, then branch more slowly; the plant then has a compact habit. Specimens from Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas exhibit all morphologic conditions. Those from Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma usually occur in shallow, sandy soils, often on rocky outcrops, and are often highly branched, compact, short, and not very pilose.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Portulaca rubricaulis traditionally has been treated as P. phaeosperma (J. K. Small 1933). C. D. Legrand (1962) and R. P. Wunderlin (1982) consider the types of P. phaeosperma and P. rubricaulis to be conspecific. Only the yellow-flowered form has been seen in the United States; Legrand reported a salmon or orange-red to red form from the Caribbean.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
KS Wildflowers
LA Plants
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