Portulaca minuta

Portulaca minuta Correll

Family: Portulacaceae

Habit: Portulaca minuta grows as a spreading perennial up to 7 cm in height. The stems are red.  The slightly succulent and slightly glandular leaves are arranged oppositely, obovate, to 5 mm in length, with an entire margin and retuse leaf apex.

The complete, perfect, actinomorphic flowers are arranged solitarily at branch terminals. The calyx has 2 unfused sepals.  The corolla has 4 unfused yellow petals.  There are numerous stamens. The carpel has an inferior ovary with a single locule and many seeds.  The fruit is a capsule at maturity.  When mature the capsule opens above the base of the fruit leaving a shallow cup with seeds.

Habitat: Portulaca minuta grows on exposed flat rock and sand.

Distribution: Portulaca minuta is endemic to the Lucayan Archipelago occurring in the central and northern island groupings.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Portulaca minuta is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.