Portulaca grandiflora
Hook. in Bot. Mag. n.s. 3: t. 2885. 1829; Bailey, Man. Cult.
Pl. 364, t. 6. 1949. P. pilosa L. subsp.grandiflora (Hook.) Geesink in Blumea 17: 297.1969
& in Steenis, Fl. Males. 1, 7: 131. 1971; Sivarajan in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 78: 260.
1981.
Eng.: Sun plant; common rose moss.
Diffuse, decumbent herbs, up to 30 cm high. Leaves alternate or subopposite, 12 - 25 x 1 - 4 mm, linear-subulate, often curved, terete, obtuse or acute at both ends, with ca 5 mm long, axillary hairs. Flowers 2.4 cm across, 2 - 8 in capituli flowering successively, subtended by 5 - 8 involucral leaves, deltoid bracteoles and ca 10 mm long hairs. Sepals 5 - 12 mm long, ovate, with an apical keel. Petals 5 (many in cultivated forms), pink, red, orange or yellow, 10 - 25 x 10 mm, obovate. Stamens numerous (40 - 75); filaments 2.5 - 6 mm long; anthers ca 1.4 x 0.3 mm. Styles 7 - 13 mm long with 5 - 10 arms. Capsules.ca 5 mm in diam., globose, operculum shining straw-yellow. Seeds ca 6 mm in diam., shining; testa cells more or less stellulate with marginal ones having a central tubercle.
Fl. & Fr. Throughout the year.
Distrib. India: Cultivated widely as an ornamental and occasionally occurs as an escape.
Native of tropical America.
Notes. Very variable in flowers, leaves and pubescence under cultivation. Several cultivated forms, including "double-flowered" are existing.
Diffuse, decumbent herbs, up to 30 cm high. Leaves alternate or subopposite, 12 - 25 x 1 - 4 mm, linear-subulate, often curved, terete, obtuse or acute at both ends, with ca 5 mm long, axillary hairs. Flowers 2.4 cm across, 2 - 8 in capituli flowering successively, subtended by 5 - 8 involucral leaves, deltoid bracteoles and ca 10 mm long hairs. Sepals 5 - 12 mm long, ovate, with an apical keel. Petals 5 (many in cultivated forms), pink, red, orange or yellow, 10 - 25 x 10 mm, obovate. Stamens numerous (40 - 75); filaments 2.5 - 6 mm long; anthers ca 1.4 x 0.3 mm. Styles 7 - 13 mm long with 5 - 10 arms. Capsules.ca 5 mm in diam., globose, operculum shining straw-yellow. Seeds ca 6 mm in diam., shining; testa cells more or less stellulate with marginal ones having a central tubercle.
Fl. & Fr. Throughout the year.
Distrib. India: Cultivated widely as an ornamental and occasionally occurs as an escape.
Native of tropical America.
Notes. Very variable in flowers, leaves and pubescence under cultivation. Several cultivated forms, including "double-flowered" are existing.
