[FTEA]
Portulacaceae, Sylvia M. Phillips. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2002
- Morphology General Habit
- Annual or perennial herbs, occasionally soft-wooded shrubs or small trees, usually with most parts rather succulent
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaves opposite or alternate, simple, entire; nodal and axillary scales and/or hairs sometimes present
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
- Inflorescence cymose, sometimes reduced to a solitary axillary flower, or congested into a raceme-like panicle or terminal head of sessile flowers surrounded by an involucre of leaf-like bracts
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Flowers regular
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
- Sepals 2, slightly unequal, the outer overlapping both margins of the inner, free or basally connate
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
- Petals (3–)4–5(–12), free or basally connate, sometimes adnate to the ovary base, usually conspicuous but fugacious
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium
- Stamens 3–numerous, often adherent to the petals
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium
- Ovary superior or (in Portulaca) partly inferior, with 2–5 carpels, unilocular, placentation free-central or basal, ovules few to many; style simple; stigma capitate or branched
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit a capsule, circumscissile or dehiscing longitudinally, rarely indehiscent
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seeds 1 to many on long persistent funicles, black or brown with a pale aril (in Flora area), often glossy or with a metallic sheen, embryo curved, testa smooth or concentrically ornamented
[FZ]
Portulacaceae, H. Wild. Flora Zambesiaca 1:2. 1961
- Morphology General Habit
- Annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, often succulent
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaves sessile or petiolate, opposite or alternate; stipules scarious or modified into many or few hair-like axillary appendages or absent
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, variously racemose, paniculate or cymose or solitary
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
- Sepals 2, imbricate, free or united at the base
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
- Petals 4–6 (in all African genera), imbricate, free or connate up to half-way or more, often fugacious
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium
- Stamens as many as the petals or more numerous, free or adnate to the petals
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium
- Ovary superior or half inferior, 1-locular or partially divided into several loculi near the base; placentation basal; ovules 1-?; style simple or variously divided
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit a capsule dehiscing by longitudinal valves or circumscissile, very rarely an indehiscent nutlet
[NTK]
Coelho, A.O.-P. (2009). Neotropical Portulacaceae.
- Morphology
-
Description
Annual or perennial herbs, shrubs or small trees, sometimes with thickened and succulent stem base, caudex or underground storage; roots swollen and tuberous in several species. Stipules absent but hairs, bristles or scales present in leaf-axils of many species, these generally interpreted as reduced stipules, axillary pubescence copious in some species. Leaves alternate or occasionally opposite, sometimes in the form of perfoliate umbrella-like structures (Montia L.); petioles poorly defined; blades flattened to terete , normally glabrous , sometimes succulent , base usually narrow, margins entire . Inflorescences of solitary flowers or paniculate, but commonly described as dichasia converting distally into monochasia, monochasia frequently straightened to resemble racemes or spikes, axes sometimes reduced, resulting in condensed head -like inflorescences. Flowers actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic (Montia), bisexual or rarely unisexual, small to large and showy, short-lived, often cleistogamus; sepals usually 2 (-3) or many (Lewisia Pursh), imbricate , persistent or deciduous (Talinum Adans.); petals (2-) 5 (12 or rarely more), free or sometimes connate at base; stamens 1 (Monocosmia Fenzl) - numerous, opposite petals, often grouped in bundles when numerous, filaments usually free , sometimes fused basally to perianth base, anthers basifixed, longitudinally dehiscent ; pollen spinose, endexine poorly developed; gynoecium syncarpous, ovary superior or inferior or semi-inferior (Portulaca L.), carpels (2) 3 (8), 1-locular throughout or initially plurilocular and becoming 1-locular distally (Portulaca), style cleft to various lengths, branches and/or stigmas as many as carpels; placentation basal or free -central, ovules 1-many, mostly campylotropous. Fruits dry capsules dehiscing circumscissilely or by longitudinal valves (3-6), valves in some genera longitudinally involute . Seeds (1) 3- numerous, cochleate - reniform to angular or rounded , testa often distinctly sculptured; sarcotesta present, surrounding seed ; embryo slightly curved to almost circular, endosperm absent or almost absent; perisperm often abundant.
- Distribution
-
Distribution in the Neotropics
- The Portulacaceae are cosmopolitan, with 25-30 genera and 450-500 species. Most genera and species occur in the west of North America, South America and Africa with some representatives in Europe and Asia.
- In tropical America and the bordering regions there are about 11 genera and probably 170 species.
Of the 11 tropical and subtropical American genera:
- Calandrinias.l. (Calandrinia Kunth, Baitaria Ruiz & Pav. and Cistanthe Spach) is found throughout the Andes.
- Monocosmia Fenzl is restricted to north Argentina and Chile.
- Mona O. Nilsson is restricted to Colombia and Venezuela.
- Lenzia Philippi is an endemic of Chile.
- Talinaria Brandegee and Talinopsis A.Gray are restricted to Mexico.
- Talinum Adans. s.l. is found throughout tropical America.
- Portulaca L. is cosmopolitan.
- Diagnostic
-
Notable genera and distinguishing features
- Calandrinias.l.: sepals persistent, stylefree and capsules indehiscent.
- Portulaca: inferior or semi inferior ovary; circumscissile capsules.
- Talinum: sepals deciduous.
- Portulacaceae are characterized by the presence of the herbs succulent, leaves alternate or apparently opposite, flowers with 2 sepals and 5 petals and fruit capsules. Sometimes they can be confused with Aizoaceae (herbs succulent and fruit capsules) but they have the leaves opposite, less often alternate; flowers with 3-8 tepals and fruit capsules loculicidal, rarely septicidal or circumscissile.
- Leaves alternate or apparently opposite and simple.
- Flowers usually with 2 sepals; petals usually 5; locule 1; placentation basal or free -central.
See below.
Distinguishing characters (always present)- Herbs, shrubs or subshrubs, often succulent.
- Hairs or scales present in leaf-axils.
- Fruits capsules, dehiscing circumscissilely or by longitudinal valves.
- Seeds often distinctly sculptured.
- General Description
-
Status
- Most of genera are endemic to the Neotropics.
- Portulaca is cosmopolitan.
- Talinum occurs in America and Africa.
- Some species are widespread as weeds.
- Portulacagrandiflora Hook. is cultivated in numerous colour forms including double flowers.
- Portulacaoleracea L. was formerly cultivated as a salad and spice plant.
- Talinumtriangulare (Jacq.) Willd. is cultivated as a salad plant.
Eleven Neotropical genera:
- Calandrinia (Calandrinia) (10 species)
- Calandrinia (Cistanthe) (25 species)
- Calandrinia ( Baitaria) (40 species)
- Grahamia Gill. (1 species)
- Lenzia (1 species)
- Lewisia (2 species)
- Mona (1 species)
- Monocosmia (1 species)
- Montia (12 species)
- Portulaca (40 species)
- Talinopsis (1 species)
- Talinum (14 species)
- Talinaria (1 species)
- The Portulacaceae were placed in the Caryophyllales by Cronquist.
- The family is one of those strongly nested among the other betalain-producing families of the Caryophyllideae and as currently circumscribed is closely allied with the Cactaceae, Basellaceae and Didieraceae.
- The close alliance of Cactaceae with Portulacaceae has been demonstrated with morphological data (hairs or scales present in leaf-axils) and molecular data.
- Literature
-
Important literature
APG II, 2003. An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG II. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 141(4): 399-436.
Applequist, W.L. and Wallace, R.S. 2001. Phylogeny of the Portulacaceous Cohort Based on ndhF Sequence Data. Syst. Bot. 26 (2): 406-419.
Behnke, H.D. and Mabry, T.J. 1994. (eds.) Caryophyllales Evolution and Systematics. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 334 pp.
Carolin, R.C. 1987. A review of the family Portulacaceae. Aust. J. Bot. 35: 383-412.
Carolin, R.C. 1993. Portulacaceae, pp. 544-555. In: K. Kubitzki, J.B. Rhower and V. Bittrich (eds.). The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants, vol. II. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Coelho, A.A.de O.P. and Giulietti, A.M. 2006. Revisão Taxonômica das Portulaca L. (Portulacaceae) no Brasil. Tese de doutorado. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Botânica. Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brasil. 196pp.
Eggli, U. and Hartmann, H.E.K. 2002. Portulacaceae, pp. 370-433. Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Eliasson, U. 2004. Portulacaceae, pp. 310-312. In: Smith, N., Mori, S.A., Henderson, A., Stevenson, D.W. and Heald, S.V. (eds). Flowering Plants of the Neotropics. Princeton University Press, Princeton.
Judd, W.S., Campbell, S.C., Kellogg, E.A. and Stevens, P.F. 1999. Portulacaceae, pp. 248-250. Plant Systematics: A Phylogenetic Approach. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland.
Legrand, C.D. 1962. Las Especies Americanas de Portulaca. An. del Mus. de Hist. Nat. de Montevideo 7(3): 9-147.
Nyananyo, B.L. 1990. Tribal and generic relationship in the Portulacaceae (Centrospermae). Feddes Repertorium 101:237-241.
[FWTA]
Portulacaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954
- Morphology General Habit
- Herbs or undershrubs, often, succulent; leaves alternate or opposite, with scarious or setose stipular appendages
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Flowers actinomorphic, hermaphrodite, solitary or variously cymose or racemose
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
- Sepals 2, imbricate, free or united at the base
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
- Petals 4–6, imbricate, free or connate at the base, soon falling
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium
- Stamens as many as and opposite the petals or more numerous, free; anthers 2-celled
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium
- Ovary superior or half-inferior, 1-celled with basal placenta; ovules 1 to many; style usually variously divided
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit a capsule dehiscing by valves or by a transverse split (circumscissile), rarely a nut and indehiscent
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seeds globose-reniform; embryo surrounding the copious mealy endosperm
Portulacaceae Juss. appears in other Kew resources:
First published in Gen. Pl. [Jussieu] 312. 1789 [4 Aug 1789] (as "Portulaceae") (1789)
Accepted by
- APG IV (2016) http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/boj.12385
-
Flora Zambesiaca
Flora Zambesiaca
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
-
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Flora of Tropical East Africa
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
-
Flora of West Tropical Africa
Flora of West Tropical Africa
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
-
Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
-
Neotropikey
Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0