Portulaca wightiana Wallich ex Wight & Arn., Prodr. 356. 1834; Dyer in Fl. Brit. India 1: 247. 1874.

Herbs, ca 10 cm high; branches angled; internodes very short (ca 2 mm). Leaves ca 4 x 2.7 mm, cordate to ovate, acute at apex, enveloped by large axillary silvery scales covering Internodes, caducous; scales ca 4 x 2 mm, deltoid to ovate, acute, membranous. Flowers 2 - 7 in terminal capituli subtended and surrouned by hairs and scales. Sepals ca 3 x 3.3 mm. Petals 4, ca 2.8 x 1.7 mm, elliptic. Stamens 10; filaments ca 0.8 mm long. Styles ca 2 - 3 mm long, ending in 3 - 6 arms. Capsules ca 2 mm in diam., globose, operculum nearly 2/3 the length of capsule, straw-yellow. Seeds ca 0.5 mm in diam., testa cells hexangular with central tubercle.

Distrib. India: Common along sandy coasts. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Sri Lanka.