Portulaca grandiflora Hook., Portulacaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 9 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: bodulagas, botdolagas, donkulu

English: Mexican-rose, eleven-o'clock, mossrose, portulaca, portulaca rose, purslane, rose moss, sunplant

French: pourpier à grandes fleurs

Japanese: matsu-ba-botan

Korean: chaesonghwa

Spanish: beso de un día, flor de un día

Tongan: losemalei, matala hoatā

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Plants annual; roots fibrous. Stems prostrate to suberect; trichomes conspicuous at nodes and in inflorescence; branches to 30 cm. Leaf blades linear to lanceolate, terete to hemispheric, 5-30 x 1-5 mm, apex acute or subacute; involucrelike leaves 8-9 (-14). Flowers 25-55 mm in diameter.; petals pink, red, purple, yellow, bronze, or white, obovate, 15-25 x 15-20 mm; stamens 40 or more; stigmas 5-8. Capsules ovoid, (3.5-) 4-6.5 mm in diameter. Seeds steely gray, often iridescent, orbiculate or elongate, flattened, 0.75-1 mm in diameter; surface cells obscurely stellate with tubercles mostly abaxially"  (Flora of North America online).

Description from the Flora of Pakistan online.

Habitat/ecology:  "The plant is adaptable to most soils, especially dry soils in sunny places, and is drought resistant. Full sun is needed for optimal flowering" (Whistler, 2000; p. 379).  In the United States, "naturalized in gardens and has escaped to roadsides and waste places.  Sandy soils; 0-2000 m"  (Flora of North America online).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, cultivated and naturalized elsewhere (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Agrigan (Agrihan) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 74)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Saipan	Saipan Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 30)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Floreana Group	Floreana Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Isabela Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Sierra Negra, Isabela Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy (2010) (p. 22)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced cultivated	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 124)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 279) Voucher cited: DA 12179
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Fatu Hiva Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Tahuata (Tuhuata) Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2003) (voucher ID: PTBG 40846) Taxon name on voucher: Portulaca grandiflora
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Pou (Huapu, Uapou, Uapu) Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Taha‘a Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tetiaroa Atoll	introduced cultivated	Sachet, M.-H./Fosberg, F. R. (1983) (p. 64)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced cultivated	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 275)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 74)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawaiian Islands	introduced cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1071) "Very commonly cultivated and may occasionally escape from cultivation".
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Arno Atoll	introduced cultivated	Vander Velde, Nancy/Vander Velde, Brian (2007) (p. 10) "Uncommon; decorative planted in containers of few residences of Ine village".
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 116) Ornamental potted plant.
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island	introduced cultivated	Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. (1994) (p. 183) Planted ornamental. Voucher cited: Fosberg 58659 (US)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 118) Spontané
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced cultivated	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 170) Voucher cited: CHR 168704
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 74)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced	Raulerson, L./Rinehart, A. F./Falanruw, M. C. (1996) (p. 33)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1968) (voucher ID: BNM 623) Taxon name on voucher: Portulaca grandiflora Hook.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive cultivated	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) Often cultivated as an ornamental; rarely fully naturalized.
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive	Randall, R. P. (2007) (p. 385)
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 79) Cultivated ornamental.
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 181)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive cultivated	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 991) Collected once in wild; seeds freely.
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 72) Cultivated only
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Canada Canada	Canada	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013) Manitoba, Ontario
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Portulaca grandiflora, please let us know.