Portulaca pilosa

Portulaca pilosa L., Sp. Pl. 1: 445. 1753; DC., Prodr. 3: 354. 1828; Babu, Herb. Fl. Dehradun 77. 1977; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 163. 2004; China @ eFloras.org 5: 442; Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org 4: 499; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org

Annual or perennial, prostrate or ascending, somewhat fleshy herb, 5-20 cm, diffuse, much branched, stem not articulated. Stem and branches slender terete, mature branches with 3-6 mm internodes, glabrous, branches tinged red. Leaves alternate, sessile, somewhat fleshy, terete to hemispheric, linear, linear-lanceolate or lanceolate-oblong, glabrous, 5-12 mm long, 1.5-3 mm broad, acute, entire; stipular hairs copious, 3-6 mm long. Inflorescence a terminal, sessile cluster of 2-6 flowers surrounded by 6-9-leaved involucre and long pale hairs. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, pink, ca. 10 mm across; bracts minute, elliptic-ovate, acute. Sepals 2, free, ca. 3.5 cm long, triangular-ovate, acute, glabrous, pale green. Petals 5, slightly united at base, obovate, 5-9 mm long, 4-6.5 mm broad, obtuse, apiculate, pink or red purple. Stamens ca. 20; filaments filiform, ca. 3 mm long, red, basally united and adnate to petals; anthers small. Ovary ovoid, stigmas 3-6, elongated, ca. 1.5 mm long. Capsule ovoid, 5-6 mm long, ca. 4 mm in diameter, circumscissile in the middle, enclosed by withered corolla and hairs, crustaceous, wall parallel-veined. Seeds numerous, reniform, dark brown to black, papillate.

Flowering and Fruiting: April to November
Common Names: Pink Purslane, Kiss-Me-Quick, Hairy Pigweed, Chisme, Shaggy Portulaca