Portulaca quadrifida

Portulaca quadrifida L., Mantl. Pl. 1: 73. 1767; Syst. Nat., ed. 12.12, 2: 328. 1767; DC., Prodr. 3: 353. 1828; Boiss., Fl. Or. 1: 757; 1867; Dyer in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 246. 1875; Cooke, Fl. Bombay Pres. 1: 72. 1908; Kashyap Fl. Lahore 42: 1936; Maheshwari, Fl. Delhi 70. 1963; Fl. China @ eFloras.org vol. 4: 443. 2003; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org

Diffuse, annual, prostrate, glabrous, somewhat fleshy herb; rooting at nodes. Tap root somewhat woody, nodal adventitious roots fibrous, up to 3 cm long. Stem and branches articulated, filiform, internodes 2-20 mm long. Leaves opposite, sessile to subsessile, 4-10 mm x 2-5 mm, ovate, obovate or ovate-oblong, ovate-lanceolate, acute, fleshy, stipular hairs copious, silvery white, 2-3 mm long. Flowers solitary terminal, actinomorphic, bisexual, yellow, 6-8 mm across, surrounded by a 4-leaved involucre and silvery white hairs. Sepals 2, equal, membranous, veined, basally united into a minute tube half embedded in the floral axis, ovate or obovate-oblong, 2.5-3 mm long, ca. 1.5 mm broad, acute. Petals 4, united at base, oblong, broadly elliptic or pandurate, 3-6 mm x 2-2.5 mm, obtuse, mucronate. Stamens 8-10, adnate to petals; filaments 2.5-3 mm long, filiform; anthers 0.5-0.7 mm long, oblong. Carpels 4, syncarpous, ovary ca. 2 mm long, half sunk in floral axis; style ca. 3 mm long; stigmas 4, linear, reclinate. Capsule 3.5-4.5 mm long, 3.5-3 mm in diameter, oblong-conical. Seeds black, ca. 1 mm, reniform, somewhat papillose.

Flowering and Fruiting: Almost throughout year or summer and rainy season
Common Names: Chickweed; Nunya Ka Saag, Chota Nunya, Lunki Buti (Hindi)