Portulacaceae

Disclaimer

Content is from Kirkbride et al. 2006Kirkbride et al. 2006:
Kirkbride JH, Jr, Gunn CR, and Dallwitz MJ. 2006. Family guide for fruits and seeds, vers. 1.0. Accessed September 2020-January 2022. URL:  https://nt.ars-grin.gov/seedsfruits/keys/frsdfam/index.cfm ., without modification except for new images. 
Updates are forthcoming.

Taxonomy

Portulacaceae Adanson

Common name: Purslane Family.

Number of genera: 23 genera.

Number of species (Mabberley 1997): 400 species.

Disseminule

Fruit (dehisced), or fruit (intact or entire), or seed.

Description

Fruits: Pistil(s) compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit pericarpium; simple; capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
; pyxidium capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
, or loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
, or poricidalporicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, fruit opening by pores or flaps (often near the top)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
(& pores have minute teeth corresponding to the valves at the orifice for Calandrina, not Spjut); capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
not inflated; capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
; without persistent central column; within accessory organ(s); within hypanthium (1/2 imbedded in Portulaca); connate; persistent; with hypanthium capsules; with hypanthium cupular; with hypanthium fleshy; to many; with 2–3(–9)-carpellate; with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; with carpels not radiating at maturity; with carpels remaining connected at stylestyle:
in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit
; without sterilesterile:
lacking male and/or female reproductive parts; also, not producing fruit or seed
carpels; not sulcatesulcate:
surface relief—having one or more elongate, relatively narrow and shallow depressions or grooves
; in transection tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
; apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
not beaked; dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
, or indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
(Portulacarieae & fruit not scored by Spjut). Dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
unit seed(s). Dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
regularly; passively, or actively; with valves coiling; at apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
; and shedding seeds; without replumreplum:
the rim, formed by the persistent placentas, and connected by a false septum in Brassicaceae fruits. The fruit valves are attached to this rim and separate from it in dehiscent fruits.
. Epicarpepicarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with exocarp
brown (all shades); durable; glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
; without armature, or with armature; with lignified trichomes; without armature glochidiate; without wing(s); without apicalapical:
at or pertaining to the end of the seed or fruit distal from its point of attachment (i.e., base)
respiratory hole. Endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
present; not separating from exocarpexocarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with epicarp
, or separating spontaneously from exocarpexocarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with epicarp
; thin; not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; smooth; without wing; without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
; without secretory cavities; without mechanism for seedling escape; without grooves; without longitudinallongitudinal:
of or relating to length or the lengthwise dimension
ridges. Funiculusfuniculus:
(alt. funicle) stalk connecting the ovule (later seed) to the ovary (later fruit) placenta
short; short without seed bearing hookswith hooks:
bristles or spines with curved or backwards pointing tips, or with secondary bristles along their length
(retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.

Seeds: Arilaril:
(broad sense) appendicular structure that wholly or partly envelops a seed and is produced from or a modification of the funicle, raphe, or outer integument; usually fleshy or pulpy, sometimes spongy or tufted-capillate, often brightly colored
absent, or present (Calandrinia, Calyptrotheca, Claytonia, Talinum); a true arilaril:
(broad sense) appendicular structure that wholly or partly envelops a seed and is produced from or a modification of the funicle, raphe, or outer integument; usually fleshy or pulpy, sometimes spongy or tufted-capillate, often brightly colored
; white; well developed, or vestigal; adnate to hilumhilum:
on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer fruit surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the outer fruit wall revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle
; fleshy, or dry; of funicularfuniculus:
(alt. funicle) stalk connecting the ovule (later seed) to the ovary (later fruit) placenta
origin; marginalmarginal:
at, on, or close to the margin or border
; fleshy, or paperypapery:
texture—papyraceous, chartaceous; very thin, pliable, and readily torn; like paper
; cushionlike, or fimbriate-laciniate; with plicate hairlike fringe. Seed larger than minute; reniformreniform:
2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped
, or circularcircular:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an "O" shape
, or pyriform, or C-shapedC-shaped:
2D-shape—semiannulate, curved into the shape of the letter 'C'
; compressed, or flattened; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beakbeak:
a usually firm, terminal appendage, sometimes tapered
; without caudatecaudate:
tapering to a long, tail-like appendage
appendage(s); at maturity with food reserves; with perispermperisperm:
seed nutritive tissue comparable to the endosperm, but derived from the nucellus (maternal tissue)
, or endosperm; without canavanine. Sarcotestasarcotesta:
pulpy or fleshy outer layer of the seed coat, simulates aril
absent. Testatesta:
seed coat
present; without markedly different marginalmarginal:
at, on, or close to the margin or border
tissue; without fleshy or leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
layer over hard layer; tight; dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
, or shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
; surface smooth, or unsmooth; surface with discreet raised features, or merged raised features; surface papillatepapillate:
surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex
, or tuberculatetuberculate:
surface relief—bearing small, warty, swelling, rounded, or variously shaped projections
; surface colliculatecolliculate:
surface relief—covered with small, round projections, similar to blistered
, or rugoserugose:
wrinkled
; with crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; with notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approaching each other; without glands; without bristles; glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
; without wings; without collar; without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
; colored; monochrome; brown (all shades), or black; crustaceouscrustaceous:
texture—thin, dry, indurate, and brittle
; not becoming mucilaginousmucilaginous:
resembling mucilage; moist and sticky
when wetted; surrounding embryo, or surrounding food reserve (rarely). Endosperm development nuclear. Perispermperisperm:
seed nutritive tissue comparable to the endosperm, but derived from the nucellus (maternal tissue)
copious; hard, or floury, or soft; with starch; with starch composed of solitary grains; opaqueopaque:
not transmitting light
, or transparent (semi-); smooth. Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; partially filling testatesta:
seed coat
(with food reserve); 2 times the length of food reserve; at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; peripheralperipheral:
(of embryo) embryo is curved around the outer edge of the seed, near the seed coat
, or axileaxile:
on or of the axis
and centric; linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
; arcuate, or C-shapedC-shaped:
2D-shape—semiannulate, curved into the shape of the letter 'C'
, or J-shaped, or annularannular:
3D shape—forming a ring
; 90% annularannular:
3D shape—forming a ring
, or 100% annularannular:
3D shape—forming a ring
, or 125% annularannular:
3D shape—forming a ring
; parallel to seed length; surrounding perispermperisperm:
seed nutritive tissue comparable to the endosperm, but derived from the nucellus (maternal tissue)
, or embedded in perispermperisperm:
seed nutritive tissue comparable to the endosperm, but derived from the nucellus (maternal tissue)
; with cotyledons gradually connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2, or 4 (Anacampseros lanceolata); moderately developed; 0.3–0.5 times length of embryo; as wide as hypocotyl-radicle; 1 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; not concealing hypocotyl-radicle; not foliaceous; thin; flat; smooth; with apicesapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
entire; with margins separate; basally entire; equal in size; not punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted
dotted. Hypocotyl-radicle well developed; curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart
; not thickened.

Habitat and crop association

Noxious weeds: 1 or more USA state noxious weeds in this family.

USA states and territories with listed noxious weeds: Arizona (AZ).

USA state and territory noxious weeds: 

Portulaca oleracea L.: USA state noxious weed: AZ●. 

Symbols: ªaquatic weed; ●terrestrial weed; °weed in seed. 

Last updated February 2006.
 

Distribution

General distribution: Cosmopolitan. New World and Old World.

Detailed distribution: North America to Oceania.
 

Notes

Notes: Need to score indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
schizocarp of tribe Portulacarieae: Ceraria, Portulacaria, Silvaea, and some spp. of Monocosmia & Lenzia.

References

Literature specific to this family: Carolin, R. 1974. A review of the family Portulacaceae. Taxon 23:725–728; Nyananyo, B.L. 1988. The systematic significance of seed morphology and anatomy in the Portulacaceae (Centrospermae). Folia Geobot. Phytotax. 23:275–79 & plates 8–13; McNeill, J. 1974. Synopsis of a revised classification of the Portulacaceae. Taxon 23:725–728; Prabhakar, M., P. Leelavathi, & B.K.V. Kumar. 1990. SEM studies on seeds of Indian Portulacaceae and their taxonomic significance. Asian J. Pl. Sci. 2:9–14.

General references: Corner, E.J.H. 1976. The seeds of Dicots, esp. vol. 2. Cambridge University Press, New York, Cronquist, A. 1981. An integrated system of classification of flowering plants, 1,262 p. Columbia University Press, New York, Gaertner, J. 1788–1805. De fructibus et seminibus plantarum. The Author, Stuttgart, Goldberg, A. 1986 (dicots) & 1989 (monocots). Classification, evolution, and phylogeny of the familes of Dicotyledons. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 58 for dicots (314 pp.) & 71 for monocots (74 pp.). [Goldberg's illustrations are reproduced from older publications and these should be consulted], Gunn, C.R., J.H. Wiersema, C.A. Ritchie, & J.H. Kirkbride, Jr. 1992 & amendments. Families and genera of Spermatophytes recognized by the Agricultural Research Service. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1796:1–500, LeMaout, E. & J. Decaisne. 1876. A general system of botany, 1,065 p. Longmans, Green, & Co., London, Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book, 706 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Martin, A.C. 1946. The comparative internal morphology of seeds. Amer. Midl. Naturalist 36:513–660, Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182, and Wood, C.E., Jr. 1974. A student's atlas of flowering plants: Some dicotyledons of eastern North America, 120 pp. Harper & Row, New York.