The Portulacaceae are a family of flowering plants, 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. It is also known as the purslane family. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, with the highest diversity in semiarid regions of the Southern Hemisphere in Africa, Australia, and South America, but with a few species also extending north into Arctic regions. The family is very similar to the Caryophyllaceae, differing in the calyx, which has only two sepals.

The APG II system (2003; unchanged from the APG system of 1998) assigns it to the order Caryophyllales in the clade core eudicots. In the APG III system, several genera were moved to the Montiaceae, Didiereaceae, Anacampserotaceae and Talinaceae, thus making the family monotypic and only containing the genus Portulaca.

  • Portulaca africana <small>(Danin & H.G.Baker) Danin</small>
  • Portulaca almeviae <small>Ocampo</small>
  • Portulaca amilis <small>Speg.</small> – Paraguayan purslane
  • Portulaca anceps <small>A.Rich.</small>
  • Portulaca argentinensis <small>Speg.</small>
  • Portulaca aurantiaca <small>Proctor</small>
  • Portulaca australis <small>Endl.</small>
  • Portulaca badamica <small>S.R.Yadav & Dalavi</small>
  • Portulaca bicolor <small>F.Muell.</small> – Australian pigweed
  • Portulaca biloba <small>Urb.</small> – Cuban purslane
  • Portulaca brevifolia <small>Urb.</small>
  • Portulaca bulbifera <small>M.G.Gilbert</small>
  • Portulaca californica <small>D.Legrand</small>
  • Portulaca canariensis <small>Danin & Reyes-Bet.</small>
  • Portulaca cardenasiana <small>D.Legrand</small> – Puerto Rican purslane
  • Portulaca caulerpoides <small>Britton & P.Wilson</small>
  • Portulaca centrali-africana <small>R.E.Fr.</small>
  • Portulaca chacoana <small>D.Legrand</small>
  • Portulaca ciferrii <small>Chiov.</small>
  • Portulaca clavigera <small>R.Geesink</small>
  • Portulaca colombiana <small>D.Legrand</small>
  • Portulaca commutata <small>M.G.Gilbert</small>
  • Portulaca confertifolia <small>Hauman</small>
  • Portulaca conoidea <small>S.M.Phillips</small>
  • Portulaca constricta <small>M.G.Gilbert</small>
  • Portulaca conzattii <small>P.Wilson</small>
  • Portulaca coralloides <small>S.M.Phillips</small>
  • Portulaca cryptopetala <small>Speg.</small>
  • Portulaca cubensis <small>Britton & P.Wilson</small>
  • Portulaca cyclophylla <small>F.Muell.</small>
  • Portulaca cypria <small>Danin</small>
  • Portulaca daninii <small>Galasso, Banfi & Soldano</small>
  • Portulaca decipiens <small>Poelln.</small>
  • Portulaca decorticans <small>M.G.Gilbert</small>
  • Portulaca dhofarica <small>M.G.Gilbert</small>
  • Portulaca diegoi <small>Mattos</small>
  • Portulaca digyna <small>F.Muell.</small>
  • Portulaca dodomaensis <small>M.G.Gilbert</small>
  • Portulaca echinosperma <small>Hauman</small>
  • Portulaca edulis <small>Danin & Bagella</small>
  • Portulaca elatior <small>Mart. ex Rohrb.</small>
  • Portulaca elongata <small>Rusby</small>
  • Portulaca eruca <small>Hauman</small>
  • Portulaca erythraeae <small>Schweinf.</small>
  • Portulaca fascicularis <small>Peter</small>
  • Portulaca filifolia <small>F.Muell.</small>
  • Portulaca filsonii <small>J.H.Willis</small>
  • Portulaca fischeri <small>Pax</small>
  • Portulaca fluvialis <small>D.Legrand</small>
  • Portulaca foliosa <small>Ker Gawl.</small>
  • Portulaca fragilis <small>Poelln.</small>
  • Portulaca frieseana <small>Poelln.</small>
  • Portulaca fulgens <small>Griseb.</small>
  • Portulaca gilliesii <small>Hook.</small>
  • Portulaca giuliettiae <small>T.Vieira & A.A.Coelho</small>
  • Portulaca goiasensis <small>T.Vieira & A.A.Coelho</small>
  • Portulaca gracilis <small>Poelln.</small>
  • Portulaca grandiflora <small>Hook.</small> – moss-rose purslane
  • Portulaca grandis <small>Peter</small>
  • Portulaca granulatostellulata <small>(Poelln.) Ricceri & Arrigoni</small>
  • Portulaca greenwayi <small>M.G.Gilbert</small>
  • Portulaca guanajuatensis <small>Ocampo</small>
  • Portulaca halimoides <small>L.</small> – silkcotton purslane
  • Portulaca hatschbachii <small>D.Legrand</small>
  • Portulaca hereroensis <small>Schinz</small>
  • Portulaca heterophylla <small>Peter</small>
  • Portulaca hirsutissima <small>Cambess.</small>
  • Portulaca hoehnei <small>D.Legrand</small>
  • Portulaca howellii <small>(D.Legrand) Eliasson</small>
  • Portulaca humilis <small>Peter</small>
  • Portulaca impolita <small>(Danin & H.G.Baker) Danin</small>
  • Portulaca insignis <small>Steyerm.</small>
  • Portulaca intraterranea <small>J.M.Black</small>
  • Portulaca johnstonii <small>Henrickson</small>
  • Portulaca juliomartinezii <small>Ocampo</small>
  • Portulaca kermesina <small>N.E.Br.</small>
  • Portulaca kuriensis <small>M.G.Gilbert</small>
  • Portulaca lakshminarasimhaniana <small>S.R.Yadav & Dalavi</small>
  • Portulaca lutea <small>Sol. ex G.Forst.</small> – yellow purslane
  • Portulaca macbridei <small>D.Legrand</small>
  • Portulaca macrantha <small>Ricceri & Arrigoni</small>
  • Portulaca macrorhiza <small>R.Geesink</small>
  • Portulaca macrosperma <small>D.Legrand</small>
  • Portulaca masonii <small>D.Legrand</small>
  • Portulaca massaica <small>S.M.Phillips</small>
  • Portulaca matthewsii <small>Ocampo</small>
  • Portulaca mauritiensis <small>Poelln.</small>
  • Portulaca mexicana <small>P.Wilson</small>
  • Portulaca meyeri <small>D.Legrand</small>
  • Portulaca minensis <small>D.Legrand</small>
  • Portulaca minuta <small>Correll</small>
  • Portulaca molokiniensis <small>Hobdy</small> – Ihi
  • Portulaca monanthoides <small>Lodé</small>
  • Portulaca mucronata <small>Link</small>
  • Portulaca mucronulata <small>D.Legrand</small>
  • Portulaca nicaraguensis <small>(Danin & H.G.Baker) Danin</small>
  • Portulaca nitida <small>(Danin & H.G.Baker) Ricceri & Arrigoni</small>
  • Portulaca nivea <small>Poelln.</small>
  • Portulaca nogalensis <small>Chiov.</small>
  • Portulaca oblonga <small>Peter</small>
  • Portulaca obtusa <small>Poelln.</small>
  • Portulaca obtusifolia <small>D.Legrand</small>
  • Portulaca okinawensis <small>E.Walker & Tawada</small>
  • Portulaca oleracea <small>L.</small> – common purslane, pigweed
  • Portulaca oligosperma <small>F.Muell.</small>
  • Portulaca olosirwa <small>S.M.Phillips</small>
  • Portulaca papillatostellulata <small>(Danin & H.G.Baker) Danin</small>
  • Portulaca papulifera <small>D.Legrand</small>
  • Portulaca papulosa <small>Schltdl.</small>
  • Portulaca paucistaminata <small>Poelln.</small>
  • Portulaca perennis <small>R.E.Fr.</small>
  • Portulaca peteri <small>Poelln.</small>
  • Portulaca philippii <small>I.M.Johnst.</small>
  • Portulaca pilosa <small>L.</small> – shaggy purslane
  • Portulaca psammotropha <small>Hance</small>
  • Portulaca pusilla <small>Kunth</small>
  • Portulaca pygmaea <small>Steyerm.</small>
  • Portulaca quadrifida <small>L.</small> – chickenweed purslane
  • Portulaca ragonesei <small>D.Legrand</small>
  • Portulaca ramosa <small>Peter</small>
  • Portulaca rausii <small>Danin</small>
  • Portulaca rhodesiana <small>R.A.Dyer & E.A.Bruce</small>
  • Portulaca rotundifolia <small>R.E.Fr.</small>
  • Portulaca rubricaulis <small>Kunth</small> – redstem purslane
  • Portulaca rzedowskiana <small>Ocampo</small>
  • Portulaca samhaensis <small>A.G.Mill.</small>
  • Portulaca samoensis <small>Poelln.</small>
  • Portulaca sanctae-martae <small>Poelln.</small>
  • Portulaca sardoa <small>Danin, Bagella & Marrosu</small>
  • Portulaca saxifragoides <small>Welw. ex Oliv.</small>
  • Portulaca sclerocarpa <small>A.Gray</small> – Ihi makole
  • Portulaca sedifolia <small>N.E.Br.</small>
  • Portulaca sedoides <small>Welw. ex Oliv.</small>
  • Portulaca sicula <small>Danin, Domina & Raimondo</small>
  • Portulaca smallii <small>P.Wilson</small> – Small's purslane
  • Portulaca socotrana <small>Domina & Raimondo</small>
  • Portulaca somalica <small>N.E.Br.</small>
  • Portulaca stellulatotuberculata <small>Poelln.</small>
  • Portulaca stuhlmannii <small>Poelln.</small>
  • Portulaca suffrutescens <small>Engelm.</small> – shrubby purslane
  • Portulaca suffruticosa <small>Wight</small>
  • Portulaca sundaensis <small>Poelln.</small>
  • Portulaca thellusonii <small>Lindl.</small>
  • Portulaca tingoensis <small>J.F.Macbr.</small>
  • Portulaca trianthemoides <small>Bremek.</small>
  • Portulaca trituberculata <small>Danin, Domina & Raimondo</small>
  • Portulaca tuberculata <small>León</small>
  • Portulaca tuberosa <small>Roxb.</small>
  • Portulaca umbraticola <small>Kunth</small> – wingpod purslane
  • Portulaca werdermannii <small>Poelln.</small>
  • Portulaca wightiana <small>Wall. ex Wight & Arn.</small>
  • Portulaca yecorensis <small>Henrickson & T.Van Devender</small>
  • Portulaca zaffranii <small>Danin</small>

Formerly placed here

  • Anacampseros arachnoides <small>(Haw.) Sims</small> (as P. arachnoides <small>Haw.</small>)
  • Anacampseros filamentosa subsp. filamentosa (as P. filamentosa <small>Haw.</small>)
  • Anacampseros lanceolata subsp. lanceolata (as P. lanceolata <small>Haw.</small>)
  • Anacampseros rufescens <small>(Haw.) Sweet</small> (as P. rufescens <small>Haw.</small>)
  • Anacampseros telephiastrum <small>DC.</small> (as P. anacampseros <small>L.</small>)
  • Montia howellii <small>S. Watson</small>
  • Sesuvium portulacastrum <small>(L.) L.</small> (as P. portulacastrum <small>L.</small>)
  • Talinum fruticosum <small>(L.) Juss.</small> (as P. fruticosa <small>L.</small> or P. triangularis <small>Jacq.</small>)
  • Talinum paniculatum <small>(Jacq.) Gaertn.</small> (as P. paniculata <small>Jacq.</small> or P. patens <small>L.</small>)

thumb|Pink Portulaca flower from volunteer plant growing in a pot indoors

Uses

Common purslane (Portulaca oleracea) 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. Some Portulaca species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the nutmeg moth (Hadula trifolii).

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File:Portulaca sativa 01.jpg|Purslane cultivar

File:Դանդուռի թթու.jpg|Pickled purslane stems consumed in Armenia

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

</gallery>

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