Portulaca oleracea L.

Portulaca species are annual or perennial herbs, stem erect or prostrate, usually woody at the base, branched, main root tuberous, fibrous, fleshy, sometimes rooting at nodes, trichomes on nodes and inflorescence present or absent. Leaves simple, opposite, alternate, or uppermost usually clustered and with trichomes, linear lanceolate-subulate to oblong, base slightly connate, margin entire, apex acute to acuminate, curved or not, petiole subsessile. Inflorescence axillary or terminal clusters or cymes about 2-30 flowered, rarely solitary. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, pedicel subsessile or sessile, open only during sunshine, bracts foliaceous or membranous or absent, bracteoles hairy or scarious, sepals 2, obovate-deltoid, base clasping, margins scarious or herbaceous, deciduous or persistent, petals 4-6, free or subconnate at the base, obovate, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute, absent or deciduous in annuals. Stamens 8-9 in one whorl, adnate to petals inserted on calyx, filaments basally connate, anthers 2-4 locular, dorsifixed. Ovary semi inferior, unilocular, ovules 4-many on free central placentation, style 2-8, armed. Fruit capsule, globose-ovoid, papery, dehiscing circumscissile at the middle. Seeds many, reniform-globose, laterally compressed, reddish brown, tuberculate or rarely smooth.

Herb

Flowering class: Dicot Habit: Herb

Flowering and fruiting: June-September

Portulaca species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary; rarely unisexual. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: April-October.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Annual herbs, about 5-40 cm long, stem decumbent or prostrate, usually woody at the base, branched, sometimes slightly reddish green or purplish green, main root tuberous, fibrous, fleshy. Leaves simple, subopposite or alternate, or uppermost usually clustered, spathulate-obovate to oblong, about 5-30 x 3-15 mm across, base slightly connate, margin entire, apex obtuse, terete, axillary hairs, inconspicuous about 1 mm long, green above and paler beneath, fleshy thick, petiole subsessile to sessile. Inflorescence axillary or terminal clusters or capituli, flowering successively, about 2-30 flowered, subtented by 2 involucre-like bracts. Flowers bisexual, about 2.5 cm across, pedicel subsessile or sessile, open only during sunshine, bracts foliaceous, bracteoles deltoid, with inconspicuous hairs, sepals 2, ovate-deltoid, distinctly carinate, base clasping, margins scarious, deciduous, about 8 x 8 mm across, petals 4-5, red, pink, yellow, free or subconnate at the base, broadly obovate, margins entire, apex obtuse, about 3-10 x 7-8 mm across. Stamens 7-15, adnate to petals inserted on calyx, filaments basally connate, about 4 mm long, anthers 2-4 locular, dorsifixed. Ovary semi inferior, unilocular, ovules 4-many on free central placentation, style 3-5 fid, about 5 mm long. Fruit capsule, globose-ovoid, about 4 x 3 mm across, papery, dehiscing circumscissile at the middle or at 2/3rd. Seeds 20-25, reniform-globose, about 6-7 mm across, laterally compressed, shining black, tuberculate.

A prostrate herb with fleshy, glabrous leaves. Branchlets reddish or purple coloured. Flowers small, yellow. Generally occurs in damp and open areas

Portulaca species are susceptible to various insect pests, viruses, root rots, powdery mildews and moulds.

Caterpillars of Great and Danaid Eggfly butterflies feed on this plant. Leaves used in salads. Stems pickled and used in traditional medicine.

Near cultivated fields, seashores and roadsides, altitude up to 2800 m.

Wetland, moist place, irrigation channel

Wet areas in degraded forests, also in the plains

Common by arable lands, drainages, wayside, generally in clayey soils. Found in plains from the coast, 1500m, Pantropics.

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Used in Ayurvedic, Siddha, Unani and folk medicines.

Tender shoots and leaves are used as vegetable mixed with other vegetables or with fish. Also used as medicine in liver problem and in Jaundice

Medicinal

Apis florea mostly observed foraging on the flowers. Leaves cooked with lentils make a tasty vegetable. Sometimes brought for sale to the local market.