Portulaca pilosa

Portulaca pilosa L.

Common Names: Pink Purslane, Kis Me Quick, Hairy Pig Weed

Family: Portulaceae

Habit: Portulaca pilosa grows as a succulent, prostrate to erect, annual or perennial, up to 30 cm in height. The succulent leaves are arranged alternate, linear/lanceolate to terete, to 3 cm in length, with an entire margin, an acute leaf apex.

The complete, perfect, actinomorphic, sessile flowers are arranged in clusters or solitarily at branch terminals subtended by white pubescence. The calyx has 2 unfused sepals.  The corolla has 5 unfused red to purple petals.  There are numerous stamens. The carpel has an inferior ovary with a single locule and many seeds.  The fruit is a round capsule at maturity.  When mature the capsule opens above the base of the fruit leaving a shallow cup with seeds.

Habitat: Portulaca pilosa grows in open shallow soils on rock flats.

Distribution: Portulaca pilosa is native to the Lucayan Archipelago occurring throughout the islands as well as the Caribbean region, southern United States, and Mexico south to South America.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Portulaca pilosa is not used medicinally in the Bahamas.