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.