Portulaca umbraticola

Kunth in A. von Humboldt et al.

in A. von Humboldt et al., Nov. Gen. Sp. 6: 72. 1823.

Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 501. Mentioned on page 497.

Plants annual; roots fibrous. Stems prostrate to suberect; trichomes sparse at nodes and in inflorescence, stems otherwise glabrous; branches 5–20 cm. Leaf-blades obovate, spatulate, or sometimes lanceolata, flattened, 10–35 × 2–15 mm, apex rounded to truncate; involucrelike leaves 4–5. Flowers 8–15 mm diam.; petals yellow or yellow-tipped with red or copper, spatulate or obovate, 5–10 × 3–6 mm, apex acute or cuspidate; stamens 7–30; stigmas (3–) 5–18. Capsules obovoid or turbinate, 3–5 mm diam., with encircling, expanded, membranaceous wing 0.5–1.5 mm wide proximal to suture. Seeds gray, round or elongate, flattened, 0.5–1 mm; surface cells stellate with long tubercles.

Distribution

V4 1020-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., Ark., Ga., La., Miss., Mo., N.Mex., Okla., S.C., Tex., South America

Discussion

Subspecies 3 (2 in the flora).

Portulaca umbraticola is a common weedy species of the southwestern United States, while in the southeastern United States it is usually restricted to sandy soils of granitic and sandstone outcrops. In 1982–1983, a new cultivar was introduced to the United States in hanging baskets, under the name Portulaca umbraticola ‘Wildfire Mixed,’ which appears to be selected from material from South America. There is no seed surface variability in any of the three subspecies.

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Petals entirely yellow Portulaca umbraticola subsp. coronata
1 Petals yellow tipped with red (copper) Portulaca umbraticola subsp. lanceolata
... more about "Portulaca umbraticola"
copper +  and red +
5mm;10mm +
cuspidate +, acute +, obovate +, spatulate +, rounded +  and truncate +
3mm;6mm +
James F. Matthews +
Kunth in A. von Humboldt et al. +
occasionally dentate;crisped +
flattened +, subterete +  and terete +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
circumscissile +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
turbinate +  and obovoid +
expanded +
membranaceous +
Ariz. +, Ark. +, Ga. +, La. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, N.Mex. +, Okla. +, S.C. +, Tex. +  and South America +
open +, subsessile +  and sessile +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
open +  and congested +
paniculate +  and racemose +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
flattened +, spatulate +  and obovate +
exstipulate +  and secund +
subopposite +  and alternate +
involucrelike +
plurilocular +
half-inferior;inferior +
yellow-tipped +
ephemeral +
distinct +
in A. von Humboldt et al., Nov. Gen. Sp. +
variously sculptured granular;stellate-tuberculate +
sculptured +  and smooth +
flattened +, elongate +  and round +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (?) +
herbaceous;scarious +
7 +  and 30 +
suffrutescent +
prostrate +  and suberect +
5 +  and 18 +
Portulaca umbraticola +
Portulaca +
species +
fleshy +  and succulent +
membranaceous +
0.5mm;1.5mm +
9 +, 8 +, 5 +  and 4 +