Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Flowers: june-September
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Growth Duration: Annual
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Bees, flies, beetles
Glabrous, fleshy annual with several prostrate, freely-branched stems up to 3 dm. long.
Leaves alternate, somewhat clustered at the branch tips, spatulate to obovate, 1-3 cm. long and 3-10 mm. wide.
Flowers sessile, axillary and in small, terminal clusters; sepals 2, 3-4 mm. long, keeled, acute, attached to the lower part of the ovary, making the ovary partly inferior; petals usually 5, yellow, slightly shorter than the sepals; stamens 6-10; styles 4-6, united below.
Capsule
Publication: Sp. Pl. 1: 445. 1753.
Portulaca retusa Engelm.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Portulaca oleracea in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.
WA Flora Checklist: Portulaca oleracea checklist entry.
OregonFlora: Portulaca oleracea information.
E-Flora BC: Portulaca oleracea atlas page.
CalPhotos: Portulaca oleracea photos.
USDA Plants: Portulaca oleracea information.
