Kiss-me-quick
Portulaca pilosa
Portulacaceae
Medicinal. Reported to be toxic to pets and horses.
Portulaca pilosa is an annual or perennial prostrate herb, with stems reaching 25 cm. Leaves are succulent, while the small flowers are a bright pink colour. Plants can form dense mats, limiting growth of other plants. The root system is fibrous, but it can develop fleshy thick roots. It grows in full sun or part shade and will tolerate dry soils. It is a common weed of gardens, nurseries, horticulture, dry soils and disturbed sites. It can also be found growing in open rainforest areas, woodland, salt flats, margins of mangroves, near the ocean, rocky areas including on old lava flows.
Portulaca pilosa is not impacted by significant pests and diseases, although a nursery supplying plant material to the horticultural industry lists White Flies, Aphids, Thrips, Botrytis, Pythium and Rhizoctonia as potential issues. Another insect that impacts this plant is the Diadem butterfly larvae, which eats the leaves. Beneficial interactions include butterflies (attracted to flowers and the nectar they produce) and bees (nectar and pollen). It is likely that a range of other insects use the plant as a pollen and nectar source.