Portulaca oleracea

Raab-Straube, Eckhard von & Raus, Thomas, 2024, Euro + Med-Checklist Notulae, 17, Willdenowia 54 (1), pp. 5-45 : 29

Portulaca oleracea L.

is a common weed in Romania (Grinţescu 1952; Anghel & al. 1972; Ciocârlan & al. 2004; Ciocârlan 2009 etc.). It has been reported in this country since the 18 th century ( Baumgarten 1816; Schur 1866; Edel 1835–1853 & Guebhard 1842–1848 cited in Brândză 1879–1883; Uechtritz & Sintenis 1876 cited in Kanitz 1879–1881; Herbich 1859; Grecescu 1898; Brândză 1898 etc.). Portulaca oleracea subsp. sativa (Haw.) Čelak. was mentioned as a garden vegetable by Schur (1866) and Porcius (1885) from Transylvania (as P. sativa Haw. ) and by Grecescu (1898) from the extra-Carpathian regions (as P. oleracea var. sativa (Haw.) DC. ) ( Sîrbu & Oprea 2011).

In the botanical works from the last century as well as in recent times, the following species of Portulaca have been reported from Romania: P. oleracea L. (Prodan 1939; Borza 1947; Grințescu 1952; Beldie 1977; Oprea 2005; Ciocârlan 2009; Sîrbu & Oprea 2011; Sârbu & al. 2013), P. grandiflora Hook. as casual alien (Morariu 1937; see other references in Sîrbu & Oprea 2011) and P. pilosa L. as naturalized alien ( Nagodă & al. 2013).

Special research on the Portulaca oleracea aggregate based on micromorphological peculiarities of the seed surface was triggered by the investigations of Avinoam Danin in different countries of the world ( Danin 2011a, 2011b; Danin & al. 2008, 2012, 2016). In this context, two morphotypes new for Romania were found, viz. P. granulatostellulata (Poelln.) Ricceri & Arrigoni (Danin 2011a) and P. trituberculata Danin & al. (2011b) .

Our special investigation of the Portulaca oleracea complex in Romania was started in 2022 by C. Sîrbu and A. Oprea with material from different regions of the country ( 34 specimens). Some morphotypes new for the Romanian flora were identified: P. cypria Danin , P. daninii Galasso & al., P. macrantha (Maire) Ricceri & Arrigoni, P. nitida (Danin & H. G. Baker) Ricceri & Arrigoni , P. oleracea L. s.str., P. rausii Danin , P. sardoa Danin & al. and P. socotrana Domina & Raimondo , and P. granulatostellulata and P. trituberculata were confirmed (11 morphotypes in total).

See Supplemental content online for Fig. S1–S 3 .

E. Bulakh, C. Sîrbu, A. Oprea, O. Volutsa & M. Shevera

Figures

Fig. 1. Mesembryanthemum haeckelianum – A: flowering plant in nitrophilous grassland habitat; B: detail of plant with flowers; C: detail of fruits. – Spain, Valencia, Paiporta, Sant Joaquim, 1 May 2023 (A), 8 Dec 2020 (B, C), photographs by S. Fos.

Fig. 3. Podranea ricasoliana – A: flowering branch; B: habit. – Italy, Liguria, Taggia (Imperia), 15 Sep 2022, photographs by M. Lonati.