Portulaca grandiflora - Flora of Qatar

Portulaca grandiflora Hook.

Synonyms

Portulaca hilaireana, Portulaca immersostellulata, Portulaca mendocinensis, Portulaca multistaminata, Portulaca pilosa

Common names

Purslane, rose moss

Portulaca grandiflora is a flowering plant in the family Portulacaceae, native to Argentina, southern Brazil, and Uruguay and often cultivated in gardens. It has many common names, including moss-rose purslane, eleven o'clock, Mexican rose, moss rose, sun rose, and rock rose.[+]

It is also seen in South Asia and widely spread in most of the cities with old 18th- and 19th-century architecture in the Balkans. In Bangladesh, it is called "time fuul", meaning "time flower", because the flower has a specific time to bloom. In India, it is called "nau bajiya" or "9 o'clock flower" as it blooms in morning around 9:00 am. In Vietnam, it is called "hoa mười giờ" meaning "ten o'clock flower", because the flower is usually in full bloom at 10:00 in the morning. Its buds are often chewed by small birds like the house sparrow.

It is a small, but fast-growing annual plant growing to 30 cm tall, though usually less. However if it is cultivated properly it can easily reach this height. The leaves are thick and fleshy, up to 2.5 cm long, arranged alternately or in small clusters. The flowers are 2.5–3 cm diameter with five petals, variably red, orange, pink, white, and yellow.