Leuenbergeria portulacifolia

Range and differences between accounts

POWO gives Haiti as the species' natural range and associates it with the seasonally dry tropical biome. Leuenberger also documented plants labelled with this name in the Jimaní area of the Dominican Republic. The range accepted in the current database and the historical field identification are therefore retained separately. The discrepancy requires assessment of botanical material rather than automatically combining range boundaries. [2-WWW] [Leuenberger 2008]

Habit, roots and short shoots

The plant forms a small tree, usually 3–5 m tall, sometimes up to 10 m, or a shrub branching near ground level. The trunk reaches 15–20 cm in diameter in the description. Raised areoles interrupt the almost smooth grey bark. Roots may have spindle-shaped storage thickenings. [Leuenberger 1986, Pereskia portulacifolia description]

On a young twig, the areole produces spines and 1–3 short-shoot leaves. With age, it may elongate into a knobby section several millimetres long. Such short shoots are often spineless or lose old spines. A spineless part of an old branch and spiny young growth may therefore belong to the same specimen. Foliage descriptions are best related to the age of the stem section, rather than only to the whole plant. [Leuenberger 1986, Pereskia portulacifolia description]

Traits useful for identification

In the key to Caribbean species, it is distinguished by grey bark on the main stems and small leaves that are obovate, spatulate or heart-notched at the tip. The blade tip is blunt or distinctly notched. In the similar Leuenbergeria marcanoi and L. zinniiflora, leaves are mostly longer and more pointed, and main-stem bark is brown. [Areces-Mallea 1992]

Separation of sexual functions

Leuenbergeria portulacifolia belongs to the functionally dioecious Caribbean group. When describing a collection, it matters to record whether observed flowers function as male or female. The name and the fact of flowering alone do not establish a specimen's ability to set fruit. [Areces-Mallea 1992]