Beautiful weeds P.3: Portulaca pilosa

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When my then girlfriend and I went to Ilocos Norte on northern Luzon two years ago, I saw some plants growing on the beach which I thought at first to be Sesuvium portulacastrum, from the Family Aizoaceae. I collected one and it established well for me in no time. So well, that I soon found seedlings growing nearby- seedlings that grew fast and produced more seedlings. I brought home an invader.

Two years later and the descendants from that original plant is still with me, growing where they should not be. Admittedly, I could have adopted a more drastic stance and these plants would have been gone long ago, but I still could not resist having them around. Here below is an illegal occupant on a pot of a blue Clitoria ternatea:


And here you can see the tiny black seeds from an opened capsule; in a matter of days I am going to see tiny replicas appearing on neighboring plants' pots. I suppose this species is apomictic, or forming viable seeds even without pollination. These seeds can germinate and develop into mature plants even with very little soil present; I have seen flowering plants even in minuscule accumulations of mosses and sand. 

Can you see the tiny black seeds?

The species name 'pilosa' means 'downy' in Latin, and refers to the wool that forms on the stem tips, around the flowers and the capsules. The dark green veining lend attractive patterns on the succulent leaves.


Portulaca pilosa is pantropical, and no one is actually sure about their original provenance, although most likely in the Americas; the Philippine plants have been generally regarded as escapees. Available records suggest that it's confined only to Luzon, but would not be surprised if it's eventually found on other islands as well.


Should you be lucky- or unfortunate, depending on your point of view- to have one in your garden, try to contain it and throw every seedling that you come across, although you may want to save one or two. These plants eventually look spent and gangly, and you can start anew with a few of its seedlings.

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