Origin and Habitat: The original 'Wildfire Mixed' series was released in the US in 1982-83 by the Pan American Seed company. The original 'Wildfire' series was apparently never patented, so other people actively "extended" the series. The new generations of purslane cultivars are essentially the same as the original series, but some have greater flower abundance, larger flowers, and/or improved colour tones, while others are said to be longer lived.
Common Names include: ENGLISH:Wingpod purslane, Purslane
Description:Portulaca umbraticola is an annual (rarely perennial) prostrate to erect herbs succulent herb to 20 cm tall, branched from the base. It has large, translucent single flowers, fleshy stems and leaves that are larger and flatter than those of rose moss (Portulaca grandiflora). The plants are robust and the showy flowers are often produced in abundance throughout summer. Wildfire Mixed:Portulaca umbraticola cv. Wildfire Mixed is a horticultural selection with yellow, white, pink, purple, orange,peachy-pink, coral, apricot and bicoloured large flowers. They grow into low, moderately spreading plants that bloom only when the sun is out, not on dark days or at dawn or dusk. This cultivar of is a common summer garden plants that is sold throughout the world. The original plants used to produce the 'Wildfire' cultivars may have involved a smaller-flowered P. umbraticola subspecies that occurs naturally in the southeastern United States. However the 'Wildfire' series was most likely bred from plants originating in South America, because the flowers of the subspecies found there are much larger, with richer tones and have much greater colour diversity. It is reasonable to presume that the progenitors of the 'Wildfire' series were South American plants that were selectively grown by native plant enthusiasts in the US, who perhaps viewed them as showy and longer-lived "substitutes" for the two native subspecies of P. umbraticola. Distinctive characteristics: This species is unique by virtue of the membranous wing ('corona') surrounding the basis of the capsule. Roots: Fibrous. Stem: Prostrate to suberect. Axillary hairs none or inconspicuous and short at nodes and in inflorescence, stems otherwise glabrous; branches 5–20 cm. Leaves: Flat, obovate, spatulate or sometimes lanceolate, 10-35 mm long, 2-15 mm wide, apex round to truncate. Inflorescence: Congested, surrounded by involucre-like 4-5 leaves, with several flowers. Flowers: 15-30 (or more) mm in diameter. Sepals broadly ovate, ± carinate. Petals spatulate or obovate, 8-15 mm long, 3–6 mm wide, apex acute or cuspidate. Stamens 7-30. Styles (3-) 5 – 8. The petal colour of Portulaca umbraticola cv. Wildfire Mixed includes yellow, white, pink, peachy-pink, coral, apricot, purple, or orange; bicoloured clones are also available. Fruits (capsules): Obovoid to turbinate, 3 - 5 mm in diameter, with a membranous persistent wing 1-2 mm wide around the capsule just below the flatly convex to flat operculum (lid). Lid thick, nontranslucent. Seeds: Grey, round or elongate, flattened, 0.5–1 mm; surface cells stellate with long tubercles. There is no seed surface variability in any of the three subspecies. Note: They are frequently mislabeled as Portulaca oleracea or Portulaca grandiflora, or as hybrids of these species. This is a reasonable presumption, considering that the vegetative parts of the plants look similar to P. oleracea and the floral parts look similar to P. grandiflora.
Cultivars of the exotic Portulaca umbraticola are common summer garden plants that are sold throughout the world. They have been in the nursery trade in Australia ever since the early 1980s. The plants are frequently mislabeled as Portulaca oleracea or P. grandiflora, or as hybrids of these species.
