Portulaca quadrifida

A tiny, mat-forming purslane with paired fleshy leaves and small yellow flowers, widespread across tropical Africa, Arabia and southern Asia. It grows in hot, sunny, disturbed ground and behaves as a short-lived perennial or annual that seeds itself freely. Give it full sun, heat and a fast-draining mix, and let it dry between waterings.

At home, aim for

Day Warm-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Open, sunny, often disturbed ground: sandy or gravelly soil, rock pavements, path edges, cultivated land and seasonally dry grassland. It roots at the nodes and forms low mats.

Recorded from sea level to about 2,400 m, median around 700 m; most records are lowland to mid-elevation savanna and dry country.

Tropical and southern AfricaArabian Peninsula and SocotraIndian subcontinent and Sri LankaSouthern China and Southeast AsiaMalesia and western Pacific islands

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, unmodified.