The Portulacaceae are a

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants t ...

s, comprising 115 species in a single genus '' Portulaca''. Formerly some 20 genera with about 500 species, were placed there, but it is now restricted to encompass only one genus, the other genera being placed elsewhere. The family has been recognised by most taxonomists, and is also known as the purslane family. It has a

cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The extr ...

, with the highest diversity in semiarid regions of the Southern Hemisphere in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

, and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sou ...

, but with a few species also extending north into

Arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar regions of Earth, polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenla ...

regions. The family is very similar to the

Caryophyllaceae Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranthaceae, Cactacea ...

, differing in the

calyx Calyx or calyce (plural "calyces"), from the Latin ''calix'' which itself comes from the Ancient Greek ''κάλυξ'' (''kálux'') meaning "husk" or "pod", may refer to: Biology * Calyx (anatomy), collective name for several cup-like structures ...

, which has only two sepals. The

APG II system The APG II system (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group II system) of plant classification is the second, now obsolete, version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy that was published in April 2003 by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Gr ...

(2003; unchanged from the

APG system The APG system (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system) of plant classification is the first version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy. Published in 1998 by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, it was replaced by the improved A ...

of 1998) assigns it to the order

Caryophyllales Caryophyllales ( ) is a diverse and heterogeneous order of flowering plants that includes the cacti, carnations, amaranths, ice plants, beets, and many carnivorous plants. Many members are succulent, having fleshy stems or leaves. The betalai ...

in the clade

core eudicots The eudicots, Eudicotidae, or eudicotyledons are a clade of flowering plants mainly characterized by having two seed leaves upon germination. The term derives from Dicotyledons. Traditionally they were called tricolpates or non-magnoliid dicots ...

. In the

APG III system The APG III system of flowering plant classification is the third version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy being developed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). Published in 2009, it was superseded in 2016 by a fu ...

, several genera were moved to the Montiaceae, Didiereaceae, Anacampserotaceae and Talinaceae, thus making the family monotypic and only containing the genus '' Portulaca''. Portulaca at Kadavoor

Species

The following species are accepted: *'' Portulaca africana'' (Danin & H.G.Baker) Danin *''

Portulaca almeviae ''Portulaca'' (, is the type genus of the flowering plant family Portulacaceae, with over 100 species, found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. They are known as the purslanes. Common purslane (''Portulaca oleracea'') is widely consum ...

'' Ocampo *'' Portulaca amilis'' Speg. – Paraguayan purslane *'' Portulaca anceps'' A.Rich. *'' Portulaca argentinensis'' Speg. *''

Portulaca aurantiaca ''Portulaca'' (, is the type genus of the flowering plant family Portulacaceae, with over 100 species, found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. They are known as the purslanes. Common purslane (''Portulaca oleracea'') is widely consum ...

'' Proctor *''

Portulaca australis ''Portulaca'' (, is the type genus of the flowering plant family Portulacaceae, with over 100 species, found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. They are known as the purslanes. Common purslane (''Portulaca oleracea'') is widely consum ...

'' Endl. *''

Portulaca badamica ''Portulaca'' (, is the type genus of the flowering plant family Portulacaceae, with over 100 species, found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. They are known as the purslanes. Common purslane (''Portulaca oleracea'') is widely consum ...

'' S.R.Yadav & Dalavi *''

Portulaca bicolor Portulaca bicolor is a succulent species of the family Portulacaceae with cylindrical leaves and red stems. Flowering all year the plant is common to coastal regions of Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is ...

'' F.Muell. – Australian pigweed *''

Portulaca biloba ''Portulaca'' (, is the type genus of the flowering plant family Portulacaceae, with over 100 species, found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. They are known as the purslanes. Common purslane (''Portulaca oleracea'') is widely consum ...

'' Urb. – Cuban purslane *''

Portulaca brevifolia ''Portulaca'' (, is the type genus of the flowering plant family Portulacaceae, with over 100 species, found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. They are known as the purslanes. Common purslane (''Portulaca oleracea'') is widely consum ...

'' Urb. *''

Portulaca bulbifera ''Portulaca'' (, is the type genus of the flowering plant family Portulacaceae, with over 100 species, found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. They are known as the purslanes. Common purslane (''Portulaca oleracea'') is widely consum ...

'' M.G.Gilbert *''

Portulaca californica ''Portulaca'' (, is the type genus of the flowering plant family Portulacaceae, with over 100 species, found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. They are known as the purslanes. Common purslane (''Portulaca oleracea'') is widely consum ...

'' D.Legrand *''

Portulaca canariensis ''Portulaca'' (, is the type genus of the flowering plant family Portulacaceae, with over 100 species, found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. They are known as the purslanes. Common purslane (''Portulaca oleracea'') is widely consum ...

'' Danin & Reyes-Bet. *''

Portulaca cardenasiana ''Portulaca'' (, is the type genus of the flowering plant family Portulacaceae, with over 100 species, found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. They are known as the purslanes. Common purslane (''Portulaca oleracea'') is widely consum ...

'' D.Legrand – Puerto Rican purslane *'' Portulaca caulerpoides'' Britton & P.Wilson *'' Portulaca centrali-africana'' R.E.Fr. *'' Portulaca chacoana'' D.Legrand *'' Portulaca ciferrii'' Chiov. *'' Portulaca clavigera'' R.Geesink *'' Portulaca colombiana'' D.Legrand *'' Portulaca commutata'' M.G.Gilbert *'' Portulaca confertifolia'' Hauman *'' Portulaca conoidea'' S.M.Phillips *'' Portulaca constricta'' M.G.Gilbert *'' Portulaca conzattii'' P.Wilson *'' Portulaca coralloides'' S.M.Phillips *'' Portulaca cryptopetala'' Speg. *'' Portulaca cubensis'' Britton & P.Wilson *'' Portulaca cyclophylla'' F.Muell. *'' Portulaca cypria'' Danin *'' Portulaca daninii'' Galasso, Banfi & Soldano *'' Portulaca decipiens'' Poelln. *'' Portulaca decorticans'' M.G.Gilbert *'' Portulaca dhofarica'' M.G.Gilbert *'' Portulaca diegoi'' Mattos *'' Portulaca digyna'' F.Muell. *'' Portulaca dodomaensis'' M.G.Gilbert *'' Portulaca echinosperma'' Hauman *'' Portulaca edulis'' Danin & Bagella *'' Portulaca elatior'' Mart. ex Rohrb. *'' Portulaca elongata'' Rusby *'' Portulaca eruca'' Hauman *'' Portulaca erythraeae'' Schweinf. *'' Portulaca fascicularis'' Peter *'' Portulaca filifolia'' F.Muell. *'' Portulaca filsonii'' J.H.Willis *'' Portulaca fischeri'' Pax *'' Portulaca fluvialis'' D.Legrand *'' Portulaca foliosa'' Ker Gawl. *'' Portulaca fragilis'' Poelln. *'' Portulaca frieseana'' Poelln. *'' Portulaca fulgens'' Griseb. *'' Portulaca gilliesii'' Hook. *'' Portulaca giuliettiae'' T.Vieira & A.A.Coelho *'' Portulaca goiasensis'' T.Vieira & A.A.Coelho *'' Portulaca gracilis'' Poelln. *'' Portulaca grandiflora'' Hook. – moss-rose purslane *'' Portulaca grandis'' Peter *'' Portulaca granulatostellulata'' (Poelln.) Ricceri & Arrigoni *'' Portulaca greenwayi'' M.G.Gilbert *'' Portulaca guanajuatensis'' Ocampo *'' Portulaca halimoides'' L. – silkcotton purslane *'' Portulaca hatschbachii'' D.Legrand *'' Portulaca hereroensis'' Schinz *'' Portulaca heterophylla'' Peter *'' Portulaca hirsutissima'' Cambess. *'' Portulaca hoehnei'' D.Legrand *'' Portulaca howellii'' (D.Legrand) Eliasson *'' Portulaca humilis'' Peter *'' Portulaca impolita'' (Danin & H.G.Baker) Danin *'' Portulaca insignis'' Steyerm. *'' Portulaca intraterranea'' J.M.Black *''

Portulaca johnstonii ''Portulaca'' (, is the type genus of the flowering plant family Portulacaceae, with over 100 species, found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. They are known as the purslanes. Common purslane ('' Portulaca oleracea'') is widely con ...

'' Henrickson *'' Portulaca juliomartinezii'' Ocampo *'' Portulaca kermesina'' N.E.Br. *'' Portulaca kuriensis'' M.G.Gilbert *'' Portulaca lakshminarasimhaniana'' S.R.Yadav & Dalavi *''

Portulaca lutea ''Portulaca lutea'', the native yellow purslane, is a species of ''Portulaca'' that is indigenous to all of the main islands of Hawaii except for Kaua'i and is widespread throughout the Pacific Islands. Ecology ''Portulaca lutea'' is very muc ...

'' Sol. ex G.Forst. – yellow purslane *'' Portulaca macbridei'' D.Legrand *'' Portulaca macrantha'' Ricceri & Arrigoni *'' Portulaca macrorhiza'' R.Geesink *'' Portulaca macrosperma'' D.Legrand *'' Portulaca masonii'' D.Legrand *'' Portulaca massaica'' S.M.Phillips *'' Portulaca matthewsii'' Ocampo *'' Portulaca mauritiensis'' Poelln. *'' Portulaca mexicana'' P.Wilson *'' Portulaca meyeri'' D.Legrand *'' Portulaca minensis'' D.Legrand *'' Portulaca minuta'' Correll *'' Portulaca molokiniensis'' Hobdy – Ihi *'' Portulaca monanthoides'' Lodé *'' Portulaca mucronata'' Link *'' Portulaca mucronulata'' D.Legrand *'' Portulaca nicaraguensis'' (Danin & H.G.Baker) Danin *'' Portulaca nitida'' (Danin & H.G.Baker) Ricceri & Arrigoni *'' Portulaca nivea'' Poelln. *'' Portulaca nogalensis'' Chiov. *'' Portulaca oblonga'' Peter *'' Portulaca obtusa'' Poelln. *'' Portulaca obtusifolia'' D.Legrand *'' Portulaca okinawensis'' E.Walker & Tawada *''

Portulaca oleracea ''Portulaca oleracea'' (common purslane, also known as little hogweed, or pursley) is an annual (actually tropical perennial in USDA growing zones 10–11) succulent in the family Portulacaceae. Description The plant may reach in height. It ...

'' L. – common purslane, pigweed *'' Portulaca oligosperma'' F.Muell. *'' Portulaca olosirwa'' S.M.Phillips *'' Portulaca papillatostellulata'' (Danin & H.G.Baker) Danin *'' Portulaca papulifera'' D.Legrand *'' Portulaca papulosa'' Schltdl. *'' Portulaca paucistaminata'' Poelln. *'' Portulaca perennis'' R.E.Fr. *'' Portulaca peteri'' Poelln. *'' Portulaca philippii'' I.M.Johnst. *'' Portulaca pilosa'' L. – shaggy purslane *'' Portulaca psammotropha'' Hance *'' Portulaca pusilla'' Kunth *'' Portulaca pygmaea'' Steyerm. *'' Portulaca quadrifida'' L. – chickenweed purslane *'' Portulaca ragonesei'' D.Legrand *'' Portulaca ramosa'' Peter *'' Portulaca rausii'' Danin *'' Portulaca rhodesiana'' R.A.Dyer & E.A.Bruce *'' Portulaca rotundifolia'' R.E.Fr. *'' Portulaca rubricaulis'' Kunth – redstem purslane *'' Portulaca rzedowskiana'' Ocampo *'' Portulaca samhaensis'' A.G.Mill. *'' Portulaca samoensis'' Poelln. *'' Portulaca sanctae-martae'' Poelln. *'' Portulaca sardoa'' Danin, Bagella & Marrosu *'' Portulaca saxifragoides'' Welw. ex Oliv. *'' Portulaca sclerocarpa'' A.Gray – Ihi makole *'' Portulaca sedifolia'' N.E.Br. *'' Portulaca sedoides'' Welw. ex Oliv. *'' Portulaca sicula'' Danin, Domina & Raimondo *'' Portulaca smallii'' P.Wilson – Small's purslane *'' Portulaca socotrana'' Domina & Raimondo *'' Portulaca somalica'' N.E.Br. *'' Portulaca stellulatotuberculata'' Poelln. *'' Portulaca stuhlmannii'' Poelln. *'' Portulaca suffrutescens'' Engelm. – shrubby purslane *'' Portulaca suffruticosa'' Wight *'' Portulaca sundaensis'' Poelln. *'' Portulaca thellusonii'' Lindl. *'' Portulaca tingoensis'' J.F.Macbr. *'' Portulaca trianthemoides'' Bremek. *'' Portulaca trituberculata'' Danin, Domina & Raimondo *'' Portulaca tuberculata'' León *'' Portulaca tuberosa'' Roxb. *''

Portulaca umbraticola ''Portulaca umbraticola'', also known as the wingpod purslane, is a perennial succulent in the genus of flowering plants ''Portulaca ''Portulaca'' (, is the type genus of the flowering plant family Portulacaceae, with over 100 species, found i ...

'' Kunth – wingpod purslane *'' Portulaca werdermannii'' Poelln. *'' Portulaca wightiana'' Wall. ex Wight & Arn. *'' Portulaca yecorensis'' Henrickson & T.Van Devender *'' Portulaca zaffranii'' Danin

Formerly placed here

*'' Anacampseros arachnoides'' (Haw.) Sims (as ''P. arachnoides'' Haw.) * ''Anacampseros filamentos''a subsp. ''filamentosa'' (as ''P. filamentosa'' Haw.) * ''Anacampseros lanceolata'' subsp. ''lanceolata'' (as ''P. lanceolata'' Haw.) *'' Anacampseros rufescens'' (Haw.) Sweet (as ''P. rufescens'' Haw.) *'' Anacampseros telephiastrum'' DC. (as ''P. anacampseros'' L.) *'' Sesuvium portulacastrum'' (L.) L. (as ''P. portulacastrum'' L.) *'' Talinum fruticosum'' (L.) Juss. (as ''P. fruticosa'' L. or ''P. triangularis'' Jacq.) *''

Talinum paniculatum ''Talinum paniculatum'' is a succulent subshrub in the family Talinaceae that is native to much of North and South America, and the Caribbean countries.Under its current treatment as ''Talinum paniculatum'' (from its basionym ''Portulaca panicula ...

'' (Jacq.) Gaertn. (as ''P. paniculata'' Jacq. or ''P. patens'' L.) Pink Portulaca Flower

Uses

Common purslane (''

'') is widely consumed as an edible plant, and in some areas it is invasive. '' Portulaca grandiflora'' is a well-known ornamental garden plant. Purslanes are relished by

chickens The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...

. Some ''Portulaca'' species are used as food plants by the

larvae A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. T ...

of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 percent of the total described speci ...

species including the nutmeg moth (''Hadula trifolii'').

Gallery

File:Portulaca sativa 01.jpg, ''Purslane'' cultivar File:Դանդուռի թթու.jpg, Pickled purslane stems consumed in

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...

File:Portulaca flowers 01.jpg, Portulaca flowers File:Portulaca flowers 02.jpg, Portulaca flowers File:Portulaca flowers 03.jpg, Portulaca flowers File:Portulaca flowers 04.jpg, Portulaca flowers File:Portulaca flowers 05.jpg, Portulaca flowers File:Portulaca flowers 06.jpg, Portulaca flowers File:Portulaca flowers 07.jpg, Portulaca flowers File:Portulaca flowers 08.jpg, Portulaca flowers File:Portulaca flowers 09.jpg, Portulaca flowers File:Portulaca flowers 10.jpg, Portulaca flowers File:Portulaca flowers 11.jpg, Portulaca flowers File:Portulaca flowers 12.jpg, Portulaca flowers File:Portulaca flowers 13.jpg, Portulaca flowers File:Portulaca flowers 14.jpg, Portulaca flowers

References

* *
Portulacaceae
in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards)
''The families of flowering plants''

''Flora of North America'': Portulacaceae

''Flora of China'': Portulacaceae

links at CSDL

Portulacaceae of Chile, by Chileflora
{{Authority control Caryophyllales genera Monogeneric plant families Caryophyllales families