Ceylon Spinach

Talinum fruticosum is a primarily tropical species that may not be native in the flora area. In western Africa, the leaves are eaten as a potherb.

Plants to 15 dm. Stems usually stout. Leaves to 9 cm; blade obovate to oblanceolate, base attenuate. Inflorescences race-mose or cymose. Flowers: sepals persistent, lanceolate to ovate, 5-6 mm; petals purplish, pink, or white, sometimes yellow, elliptic to ovate, 7-13 mm; stamens 20-35; stigma 1, 3-lobed; pedicel triquetrous, distally thickened, to 12 mm. Capsules subglobose, 4-6 mm; exocarp and endocarp usually not separating after dehiscence, valves wholly deciduous. 2n = 24, 48.

Fla.; Mexico; West Indies; Central America; South America; Africa.

Flowering and fruiting year-round.

Pinelands, hammocks, and disturbed areas, sandy soils; 0-100m.

Portulaca fruticosa Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 1045. 1759; P. triangularis Jacquin; Talinum triangulare (Jacquin) Willdenow

Talinum triangulare (Jacq.) Wilid. Sp. PI. 2: 862. 1800
^Portulaca frulicosa L. Syst. Nat. ed. 10. 1045. 1759. Porlulaca triangularis Jacq. Enum. PI. Carib. 22. 1760. Portulaca racemosa L. Sp. PI. ed. 2. 640. 1 7<>2.
a triangularis Ehrh. Beitr. 3: 134. 1788. Talinum crassifolium Willd. Sp. PI. 2: 862. 1800. Talinum fruticosum Willd. Sp. PI. 2: 864. 1800. Talinum Anclrewsii Sweet, Hort. Brit. 170. 1826. ( alandrinia Andrewsii Sweet, Hort. Brit. ed. 2. 219. 1830. Talinum racemosum Rohrb. in Mart. Fl. Bras. 14 2 : 297. 1872. Claylonia triangularis Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 56. 1891. Talinum triangulare purpureum Goyena. Fl. Nicar. 303. 1909. Talinum attenualum Rose & Standley, Contr. I". S. Nat Herb. 13: 286. 1911. Talinum confusum Rose & Standley, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 13: 287. 1911.
Talinum diffusum Rose & Standley, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 13: 287. 191 1. Not T. diffusum Colla. 1834.
An herb, sometimes 6 dm. tall, with often stout, fleshy, simple or branched stems; leafblades oblanceolate to obovate, 2-8 cm. long, 1-3.5 cm. broad, rounded or acute at the apex, tapering at the base into the petiole; inflorescence a fewto many-flowered raceme or cyme; pedicels 7-11 mm. long, 3-angled; sepals lanceolate-ovate to broadly ovate or nearly oval, 5-6 mm. long, 3-4.2 mm. broad, cuspidate, persistent; petals broadly elliptic to oval, 7-10 mm. long, 5-6 mm. broad, purplish, pink, or yellow; stamens about 30; capsule subglobose, 4.5-6 mm. in diameter; seeds black, O.S-0.9 mm. wide, minutely striolate, shining.
Type locality: West Indies.
Distribution: Florida Keys; West Indies: Mexico; Central America; also in South America

Talinum fruticosum is a herbaceous perennial plant that is native to Mexico, the Caribbean, West Africa, Central America, and much of South America. Common names include Ceylon spinach, waterleaf, cariru, Gbure, Surinam purslane, Philippine spinach, Florida spinach, potherb fameflower, Lagos bologi, sweetheart, and Kutu bataw in Ghana from the Akan language It is widely grown in tropical regions as a leaf vegetable.