Portulaca oleracea L.
Family: Portulacaceae

Pertinent Synonyms & Notes (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other synonyms)

none

Pertinent Common Names (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other common names)

common purslane

Primary Disseminule Type

seed

Description (diagnostics are in brown)

Fruit a dehiscent (circumscissile) capsule, round to ovoid, 4–9 mm long x 3–9 mm wide, apex acute, containing numerous seeds.

Seed round to obovate or triangular or comma-shaped in outline, compressed, cross-section elliptical to bilobal (the latter due to a shallow groove on each face extending from the hilum inwards), with a protruding notch along the margin where hilum occurs and which is typically plugged by a yellowish appendage (i.e., elaiosome, funicular remnant), 0.5–1.1 mm diameter (or 0.6–1.1 mm long x 0.4–0.6 mm wide) x 0.25–0.35 mm thick. Surface shiny, granular, covered with short, rounded to stellate-shaped tubercles arranged in curved rows, dark brown or reddish-black to black.

Hilar region basal to sub-basal, elliptic, typically plugged with the appendage mentioned above.

Risk Assessment (codes in yellow or red indicate cause for concern; assessments are current as of mid-2011; click AUQP, NZBORIC, or NZBPI for access to the most recent versions of these databases and possible assessment changes)

AUQP, NZBORIC, NZBPI