Scientific Family
Aizoaceae
Synonyms
Trianthema monogyna
Other common names
desert horsepurslane
horse purslane
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual
Similar species
Portulaca oleracea
Height
Trailing 8 to 23 inches
Riparian
Yes
Mat forming, semi-succulent, diffusely branched plant; tiny pink, purple, or purplish-pink solitary flowers in leaf axils (between the leaf and stem), partly enclosed by the sheath formed by leaf stipules (leaflike structures at the base of leaf stem).
Ground-hugging plant; opposite, oval, succulent leaves. Similar to P. oleracea which has yellow flowers, this species pink to purplish flowers. Capsules have 2 crests on top, look like mouse ears; flowers/fruits are partly hidden in leaf axils.
Habitat
Moist or seasonally dry, usually open, wetlands including alkaline flats, playa lakes, banks of rivers, creeks, roadside depressions, beaches, disturbed areas including gardens, irrigated soils, ditches, fields, ballast, stockyards, sidewalks, railroads.
Plant Community
Riparian
Disturbed Areas
Low elevation
1000
High elevation
4000
Flower Characteristics
Purplish to pink, solitary in leaf axils, partly enclosed by the sheath formed by the stem (petiole) base; sheath (calyx lobes) appearing like 5 petal-like structures, around 1/8 inch long, pink with a green horn on the back near the tip; petals absent.
Flower color
Purplish to pink
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
June
Last bloom month
October
Flower clusters
None
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Reddish-green succulent stems, prostrate or with ascending tips (decumbent), diffusely branched to 23 inches; young branches with lines of minute hairs near the bases of leaf stems (petioles). Leaves spoon-shaped, attached at narrow end in unequal pairs.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Round or oval
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Cylindrical, about 1/4 inch long with prominent crests (look like mouse ears); contains several seeds.
Fruit type
Capsule
Ridged seeds reddish-brown to black, about 1/16 inch in diameter.