M.G. Gilbert (1993) Talinum. in M. Thulin (Ed.) Flora of Somalia 1:120

Plants perennial herbs, with thickened rootstocks; stems annual, usually erect to ascening and to1 m tall (including inflorescences), sometimes scandent when growing among bushes and to 2 m long; glabrous. Leaves more or less fleshy, sessile, 2-9(-14.5) cm long. 1-3(-5.5) cm wide, obovate to oblanceolate, bases cuneate, tips rounded-mucronate. Inflorescences terminal, often racemelike, panicles; lower bracts leaflike, upper bracts much smaller; lateral branches to 15 mm long, with 1-3(-6) flowers. Flowers pedicellate; pedicels 7-15 mm lonf, curving down in fruit; sepals 4-6 mm long, ovate, tips apiculate; petals obovate, 9-12 mm long, 5-6 mm wide, purple, sometimes paler to almost white; stamens about 25, filamnts yellow. Capsules globose, 5-7 mm in diameter; seeds 1-2 mm in diameter, black, glossy, obscurely patterened with concentric rings of oblong cells.

Talinum portulacifolium grows in deciduous woodland or bushland, often in more or less disturbed places such as road margins, at 40-1850 m. It is known from regions N1, N2, C2, S1, and S2 of the Flora of Somalia. It is also widespread in tropical Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and eastwards to India.

 

Food: the leaves of Talinum porulacifolium are sometimes used as a vegetable (M.G. Gilbert in Flora of Somalia 1:120).