Common Name:

General Information

Portulaca quadrifida is a prostrate, mat-forming annual or short-lived perennial herb with much-branched, spreading, articulated, fleshy stems up to 30 cm long or longer[]. The stems root at the nodes where they are in contact with the ground[].
The edible leaves are gathered from the wild and used locally. The plant is also used for local medicinal purposes. Large types are sometimes planted as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

The plant may contain oxalates in toxic quantities, which can cause death in livestock[].
In some soils the plant tends to accumulate nitrates and thus should only be consumed in moderate quantities[].

Botanical References

Range

Probably originally native to Africa, it is now Pantropical.

Habitat

Open disturbed grounds on sandy soils[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	0.10 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant is widespread in the tropics. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 32°c, but can tolerate 16 - 36°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,500 - 2,000mm, but tolerates 1,000 - 2,500mm[].
Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil. Tolerant of a wide range of soils but prefers sand or sandy loams[]. Plants can succeed in quite poor soils. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7.5[].
Plants can become troublesome weeds of cultivation, since they break up easily and even small fragments can grow into new plants[]. In addition, the seeds are easily spread by wind, water, with crop seeds or through bird droppings[].
The plants take about six to eight weeks to produce a crop from seed and can then be harvested every two weeks on a cut and come again principle[].
This species photosynthesizes by a more efficient method than most plants. Called the 'C4 carbon-fixation pathway', this process is particularly efficient at high temperatures, in bright sunlight and under dry conditions[, ].
The flowers are said to open promptly at 10am, hence the English name 'ten o'clock plant'[].

Edible Uses

The leaves and young shoots are collected from the wild and are eaten raw. They have a mild pleasant flavour and are frequently used in salads[, ]. They are also consumed as a cooked vegetable. In India boiled leaves are mixed with sorghum or pearl millet flour in preparing a kind of bread[].

Medicinal

Although used less widely, the plant has similar medicinal applications to Portulaca oleracea[]. The general uses are as a diuretic, to treat rheumatism and gynaecological diseases, as a sedative, analgesic and cardiotonic, to treat fever, disorders of the urinary tract, worm diseases, as a tonic and choleretic, to treat dysentery, and to apply externally to ulcers, eczema and dermatitis[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Large types are sometimes planted as a soil binder to prevent erosion in sandy soils[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - fresh seeds need light for germination, but this requirement disappears in older seeds[].

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