Portulaca amilis Speg. (PORTULACACEAE)— Lowndes County: Columbus, in a weedy, infrequently mowed lawn directly along the east roadside at 2120 US Highway 45/ State Road 50 (N33 31.379, W88 26.135), about 50 yards north of the intersection with Hospital Drive; 17 Aug. 2008, Maggie Whitson 2008-0002 with Mona and Jim Whitson (KNK).
Significance. The South American native, Portulaca amilis, was first reported to occur in the United States in 1981 (Judd andWunderlin). That paper cited collections from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, with the oldest (1956) being from North Carolina. A North Carolina specimen dating to 1932 has since been found, as well as a collection for Virginia (Matthews and Levins 1985). The treatment in Flora of North America indicates that P. amilis also occurs in Alabama (Matthews 2003).