Botanical art
Prior names
Portulaca oleracea var. grandiflora
Common names
Inland Purslane
Buttercup Purslane
Etymology
Portulaca from the Latin 'portula' meaning a small gate or door; probably alluding to the calyptra (covering tissue) of the capsule.
Distribution and status
Found in the north-eastern part of South Australia, growing on sand dunes. Also found in Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in the other states.
Herbarium region: Lake Eyre
NRM region: South Australian Arid Lands
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Prostrate to decumbent succulent annual or sometimes perennial herb with stems to 20 cm long. Leaves, succulent, obovate to oblanceolate to 20 mm long. Flowers in clusters of 3 to 4 heads, with yellow petals to 17 mm long, twice as long as sepals. Flowering between August and December. Fruits are pale brown capsules to 5 mm long. Seeds are dark brown to black reniform seed to 0.8 mm long and 0.6 mm wide, with surface covered in star-shaped reticulate and tubercules. Seed embryo type is peripheral.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between November and March. Collect mature capsules, those that are turning yellow or pale brown colour and contain black seeds Place the capsules in a tray and leave to dry for one to two weeks. Then rub the capsules gently by hand to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate the unwanted material. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place. From one collection, the seed viability was high, at 100%.
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA MSB | 43,500 (3.75 g) 43,500 (3.75 g) | 50 | 11-Mar-2007 | RJB70962 Gairdner-Torrens | 1-Aug-2007 | 100% | -18°C |