Trianthema portulacastrumL.

Desert Horse-Purslanedesert horsepurslanehorse purslane

WFO wfo-0000020781 Accepted WFO 2026-06 8 photographs CC0 / CC BY

Plate 1 figs. a–h · 8 separate observations

Trianthema portulacastrum, photographed by Haneesh K M
fig. a Haneesh K M, CC0 1.0 / 2022-05-21 / obs. 199602184
Trianthema portulacastrum, photographed by Haneesh K M
fig. b Haneesh K M, CC0 1.0 / obs. 199602300
Trianthema portulacastrum, photographed by Haneesh K M
fig. c Haneesh K M, CC0 1.0 / obs. 195978478
Trianthema portulacastrum, photographed by Haneesh K M
fig. d Haneesh K M, CC0 1.0 / obs. 195977766
Trianthema portulacastrum, photographed by Haneesh K M
fig. e Haneesh K M, CC0 1.0 / obs. 195977621
Trianthema portulacastrum, photographed by kbkash
fig. f kbkash, CC0 1.0 / obs. 187142683
Trianthema portulacastrum, photographed by Kevin Faccenda
fig. g Kevin Faccenda, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 183224798
Trianthema portulacastrum, photographed by 葉子
fig. h 葉子, CC0 1.0 / obs. 177678541

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Native range 111 botanical countries

Regions where Trianthema portulacastrum is native: Aldabra, Angola, Benin, Burkina, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, DR Congo, Eritrea, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Réunion, Rodrigues, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, China Southeast, Gulf States, Hainan, Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Yemen, Andaman Is., Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maluku, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Pakistan, Philippines, South China Sea, Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Thailand, Vietnam, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Aruba, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Galápagos, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad-Tobago, Turks-Caicos Is., Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, Windward Is. AngolaBeninBurkinaCameroonChadCongoDjiboutiDR CongoEritreaGambiaGhanaGuineaGuinea-BissauIvory CoastKenyaMalawiMaliMauritaniaMozambiqueNigerNigeriaNorthern ProvincesSenegalSomaliaSudan-South SudanTanzaniaTogoChina SoutheastGulf StatesHainanIranOmanSaudi ArabiaTaiwanYemenBangladeshCambodiaIndiaJawaLesser Sunda Is.MalayaMalukuMyanmarNepalNew GuineaPakistanPhilippinesSri LankaSulawesiThailandVietnamArizonaArkansasCaliforniaFloridaGeorgiaLouisianaMarylandMexico CentralMexico GulfMexico NortheastMexico NorthwestMexico SoutheastMexico SouthwestMississippiMissouriNevadaNew JerseyNew MexicoNorth CarolinaOklahomaSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexasUtahVirginiaArgentina NortheastArgentina NorthwestBelizeBoliviaColombiaCosta RicaCubaDominican RepublicEcuadorEl SalvadorGuatemalaHaitiHondurasJamaicaNicaraguaPanamáParaguayPeruPuerto RicoTrinidad-TobagoVenezuela AldabraComorosMauritiusRéunionRodriguesAndaman Is.South China SeaArubaGalápagosLeeward Is.Netherlands AntillesTurks-Caicos Is.Venezuelan AntillesWindward Is.
Native distribution of Trianthema portulacastrum, after Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Introduced, extinct and doubtful records are excluded, so this is where the plant is from, not everywhere it now grows. Regions too small to draw at this scale are marked with a dot.
RegionTDWG codeContinent
Aldabra ALD AFRICA
Angola ANG
Benin BEN
Burkina BKN
Cameroon CMN
Chad CHA
Comoros COM
Congo CON
Djibouti DJI
DR Congo ZAI
Eritrea ERI
Gambia GAM
Ghana GHA
Guinea GUI
Guinea-Bissau GNB
Ivory Coast IVO
Kenya KEN
Malawi MLW
Mali MLI
Mauritania MTN
Mauritius MAU
Mozambique MOZ
Niger NGR
Nigeria NGA
Northern Provinces TVL
Réunion REU
Rodrigues ROD
Senegal SEN
Somalia SOM
Sudan-South Sudan SUD
Tanzania TAN
Togo TOG
Argentina Northeast AGE SOUTHERN AMERICA
Argentina Northwest AGW
Aruba ARU
Belize BLZ
Bolivia BOL
Colombia CLM
Costa Rica COS
Cuba CUB
Dominican Republic DOM
Ecuador ECU
El Salvador ELS
Galápagos GAL
Guatemala GUA
Haiti HAI
Honduras HON
Jamaica JAM
Leeward Is. LEE
Netherlands Antilles NLA
Nicaragua NIC
Panamá PAN
Paraguay PAR
Peru PER
Puerto Rico PUE
Trinidad-Tobago TRT
Turks-Caicos Is. TCI
Venezuela VEN
Venezuelan Antilles VNA
Windward Is. WIN
Arizona ARI NORTHERN AMERICA
Arkansas ARK
California CAL
Florida FLA
Georgia GEO
Louisiana LOU
Maryland MRY
Mexico Central MXC
Mexico Gulf MXG
Mexico Northeast MXE
Mexico Northwest MXN
Mexico Southeast MXT
Mexico Southwest MXS
Mississippi MSI
Missouri MSO
Nevada NEV
New Jersey NWJ
New Mexico NWM
North Carolina NCA
Oklahoma OKL
South Carolina SCA
Tennessee TEN
Texas TEX
Utah UTA
Virginia VRG
Andaman Is. AND ASIA-TROPICAL
Bangladesh BAN
Cambodia CBD
India IND
Jawa JAW
Lesser Sunda Is. LSI
Malaya MLY
Maluku MOL
Myanmar MYA
Nepal NEP
New Guinea NWG
Pakistan PAK
Philippines PHI
South China Sea SCS
Sri Lanka SRL
Sulawesi SUL
Thailand THA
Vietnam VIE
China Southeast CHS ASIA-TEMPERATE
Gulf States GST
Hainan CHH
Iran IRN
Oman OMA
Saudi Arabia SAU
Taiwan TAI
Yemen YEM

Region boundaries approximated from Natural Earth (public domain) and mapped to TDWG World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions (WGSRPD) level-3 botanical countries (Brummitt 2001). Indicative, not the official WGSRPD geometry.

Also published as 7 synonyms

A synonym is not an error. It is a record of botanists disagreeing, in print, about where this plant belongs. Each of these was somebody’s considered answer.

  • Portulacastrum monogynum Medik.
  • Tetragonia chisimajensis Chiov.
  • Trianthema flexuosum Schumach. & Thonn.
  • Trianthema monanthogyna L.
  • Trianthema monogynum L.
  • Trianthema obcordatum Roxb.
  • Trianthema procumbens Mill.

Sourcesevery claim on this page

  1. World Flora Online Plant List. accepted name, authority, classification. CC0. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  2. iNaturalist. photographs and flowering annotations, CC0 / CC BY / CC BY-SA only. per photograph. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  3. Wikidata. common name (P1843), joined on the World Flora Online identifier (P7715). CC0. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
  4. Kew, World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP v16). native distribution by TDWG level-3 botanical country, and life form. CC BY 3.0. Retrieved 2026-06-04.

We publish what we can source and we say so when we cannot. This page has no care advice and no toxicity claim, because we do not yet have those from a source we can cite.