Talinum portulacifolium

Talinum portulacifolium (Forssk.) Asch.

Family     :  Portulacaceae

Common Name : ബദലച്ചീര (Mal)

करी पत्ता(Hin)

                                 Ceylon Spinach, (Eng)

     IUCN status          : Least concern (LC) 

Ceylon Spinach is an erect, stout, fleshy herb, 0.5-1 m tall. Sepals are only 2, about 5-7 mm long, needle-pointed. Petals are 5 or rarely more, pink, obovate, up to 1 cm long. Stamens are 15-40, style is longer than the stamens, with a 3-parted stigm. Flower stalk is about 8-11 mm long, bracts narrow, 4-6 mm long. Flowers are borne in 2-5-branched, raceme-like clusters 3-20 cm long. Leaves are elliptic to obovate, 5-15 cm long, 1.5-5 cm wide, tip pointed to tapering.

Erect semi-succulent, glabrous herbs to 1 m tall; rootstock tuberous. Leaves subsessile, alternate, 4-8 x 1.5-3 cm, obovate or oblanceolate, base cuneate, apex obtuse or rounded. Inflorescence terminal, paniculate. Flowers 1.5-2 cm across; pedicels to 1.2 cm long; bracts 2-4 mm long, linear. Sepals 2, 4-6 x 2-3 mm, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate. Petals 5, pink, 8-10 x 4-5 mm, obovate. Stamens many; filaments unequal. Ovary c. 2 mm long, globose, 1-loculed; styles 3-armed. Capsules 4-6 mm across, globose; seeds ovoid, black, striate.