Description
Portulaca oleracea (Purslane) is one of the world's most cosmopolitan plants. It varies greatly in chromosome numbers, and growth habits, and probably should be regarded as a species complex, consisting of native (or ancient pre-Columbian introduced forms) as well as more recent European introductions (Matthews et al. 1993).
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family | Genus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plantae | Magnoliophyta | Magnoliopsida | Caryophyllales | Portulacaceae | Portulaca |
Synonyms
Invasion History
Chesapeake Bay Status
| First Record | Population | Range | Introduction | Residency | Source Region | Native Region | Vectors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1739 | Established | Stable | Cryptogenic | Boundary Resident | Unknown-Continental | Unknown-Continental | Agriculture(Agricultural Weed),Shipping(Ballast Water) |
History of Spread
Portulaca oleracea (Purslane) is a common garden weed in Europe, which has also been frequently used as a vegetable. It has long been regarded as an introduction to North America from Europe (Gray 1848; Fernald 1950). However, this now-cosmopolitan plant varies greatly in chromosome numbers, and growth habits, and probably should be regarded as a species complex. Seeds of 'P. oleracea' are known from excavations dated at 1500 years before the present. These early arrivals could be native to the New World, or have been introduced by very early migrants from Eurasia. Other forms of 'P. oleracea' may have been introduced by European colonists (Matthews et al. 1993). We will treat this plant as cryptogenic in the Chesapeake Bay region.
Portulaca oleracea was collected by John Clayton in VA before 1739 (Gronovius 1739; Reveal 1983), and was widespread in North America by the mid-19th century. Gray (1848) described it as occurring in 'cultivated grounds'. Robinson and Fernald (1908) described it as 'common', introduced from Europe, but 'seemingly indigenous' in the West and Southwest of the US. This plant is now found in every US state except AK (Natural Resources Conservation Service 2002). Portulaca oleracea was described as occurring in both inland and coastal habitats in the Southeastern U.S: 'weedy in a wide variety of open habitats, rock exposures, fields, sandy coastal beaches and mangrove flats, salt flats and marshes' (Godfrey and Wooten 1981).
In the Chesapeake Bay region, Portulaca oleracea was present in early plant collections in southeast VA (Gronovius 1739; Reveal 1983), Washington DC (Brereton 1830), and Baltimore (Aikin 1837). Shreve et al. (1910) described it as occurring 'throughout' MD, in 'cultivated ground'. It is also widespread in VA (Natural Resources Conservation Service 2002). The only record which we have from Chesapeake Bay region estuarine habitats was from a 'pioneer beach' on Fisherman’s Island near the Chesapeake Bridge-Tunnel highway (Boule 1976). Portulaca oleracea seems to be a common littoral plant further south (Godfrey and Wooten 1981).
References- Boule 1976; Brereton 1830; Fernald 1950; Godfrey and Wooten 1981; Gray 1848; Gronovius 1739; Matthews et al. 1993; Natural Resources Conservation Service 2002; Reveal 1983; Robinson and Fernald 1908; Shreve et al. 1910
Invasion Comments
Ecology
Environmental Tolerances
| For Survival | For Reproduction | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Maximum | Minimum | Maximum | |
| Temperature (ºC) | ||||
| Salinity (‰) | 0.0 | 0.0 | ||
| Oxygen | ||||
| pH | ||||
| Salinity Range | fresh-poly |
Age and Growth
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Adult Size (mm) | ||
| Typical Adult Size (mm) | ||
| Maximum Adult Size (mm) | ||
| Maximum Longevity (yrs) | ||
| Typical Longevity (yrs |
Reproduction
| Start | Peak | End | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive Season | |||
| Typical Number of Young Per Reproductive Event |
|||
| Sexuality Mode(s) | |||
| Mode(s) of Asexual Reproduction |
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| Fertilization Type(s) | |||
| More than One Reproduction Event per Year |
|||
| Reproductive Startegy | |||
| Egg/Seed Form |
Impacts
Economic Impacts in Chesapeake Bay
Portulaca oleracea (Purslane) may have been grown and consumed as a vegetable in the Chesapeake Bay region, and may be an occasional agricultural weed in the watershed (Shreve et al. 1910). However, it has no reported economic impacts in Chesapeake Bay tidal wetlands.
References- Shreve et al. 1910
Economic Impacts Outside of Chesapeake Bay
Portulaca oleracea (Purslane) is sometimes grown and consumed as a vegetable, and may be an occasional agricultural weed (Agricultural Research Service 1971; Muenscher 1980). However, it has no reported economic impacts in tidal wetlands.
References- Agricultural Research Service 1971; Muenscher 1980
Ecological Impacts on Chesapeake Native Species
Portulaca oleracea (Purslane) has no reported impacts on native biota in Chesapeake Bay tidal wetlands.
Ecological Impacts on Other Chesapeake Non-Native Species
Portulaca oleracea (Purslane) has no reported impacts on exotic biota in Chesapeake Bay tidal wetlands.
References
Boule, Marc E. (1976) The vegetation of Fisherman Island, Virginia, Castanea 44: 198-108Brown, Melvin L.; Brown, Russell G. (1984) Herbaceous Plants of Maryland, , College Park. Pp.
Fernald, Merritt L. (1950) Gray's Manual of Botany, In: (Eds.) . , New York. Pp.
Gleason, Henry A. (1963) The new Britton and Brown illustrated flora of the northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, In: (Eds.) . , New York. Pp.
Gleason, Henry A.; Cronquist, Arthur (1991) Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, In: (Eds.) . , Bronx, New York. Pp.
Godfrey, R. K.; Wooten, Jean W. (1981) Aquatic and Wetland Plants of the Southeastern United States: Dicotyledones, , Athens. Pp.
Gray, Asa (1848) A manual of botany of the northern United States., In: (Eds.) . , Boston. Pp.
Gronovius, Johannes Fredericius (1739) Flora Virginica exhibens plantas quas V. C. Johannes Clayton in Virginia observavit atque collegit., , London. Pp.
Harvill, A. M.; Bradley, Ted R.; Stevens, Charles E.; Wieboldt, Thomas F.; Ware, Donna M. E.; Ogle, Douglas W.; Ramsey, Gwynn W.; Fleming, Gary P. (1992) Atlas of the Virginia Flora, , Burkeville, VA. Pp.
Matthews, James F.; Ketron, Donna W.; Zane, Sandra F. (1993) The biology and taxonomy of the Portulaca oleracea (Portulacaceae) complex in North America., Rhodora 95: 166-183
1997-2024 USDA PLANTS Database.. Onine databse
Reveal, James L. (1983) Significance of pre-1753 botanical explorations in temperate North America on Linnaeus' first edition of Species Plantarum, Phytologia 53: 1-96