Portulaca halimoides L.

Common Name

Portulaca halimoides is a purslane species commonly called silkcotton purslane.

Native Range

It is native to desert regions of the southwestern United States, northern Mexico, and parts of Central and South America.

Growth Habit

This plant is a fleshy annual herb that grows a branching spreading stem, reaching a maximum length of around 25 centimeters.

Stem Characteristics

The stem is often pink or red, and has woolly, hairlike trichome strands at the stem nodes and within the inflorescence.

Leaf Characteristics

Its thick, cylindrical, blunt-tipped leaves grow up to 2 centimeters long and range in color from green to red.

Inflorescence Structure

Flowers grow in clusters of up to 10 at the tips of stem branches.

Flower Characteristics

Each flower is a few millimeters wide, with yellow petals that are sometimes hidden under two fused, fleshy red sepals.

Fruit Characteristics

The fruit is a tiny capsule that holds several seeds.

Seed Characteristics

The grainlike seeds can be black, grayish, or silvery in color.