Talinaceae

Porcupine root

Talinum afrum (Thunb.) Eckl. & Zeyh.

Family: Talinaceae
Genus: Talinum

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Porcupine root (Talinum afrum) — FlowerPhoto: Kelly Abram, CC0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (7)

Afrikaans: Vygiebossie, Wildevygie, Ystervarkkos, Ystervarkwortel, Osbos, Osbossie
Chinese: 加花土人参
English: Porcupine root, Flameflower
Northern Sotho: Kellerathla
Southern Sotho: Khutsana
ss: Mphunyuka
Zulu: Impunu, Impunyu, Inkucula, Mpunyu, Umpungu, Umpunyu, Uphunyuka bemphethe

Synonyms

Anacampseros ramosa E.Mey. ex Sond.
Claytonia afra (Thunb.) Kuntze
Claytonia caffra (Thunb.) Kuntze
Portulaca afra Thunb.
Portulaca caffra Thunb.
Talinum caffrum (Thunb.) Eckl. & Zeyh.
Talinum esculentum Dinter & G.Schellenb.

Flowers

In flower: October to January (from 30 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Kelly Abram, CC0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Nicola van Berkel, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Hildegard Klein, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Gerhard Sieburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: dune_ninja, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: dune_ninja, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: dune_ninja, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Prince Molokomme, CC0, from iNaturalist

More in Talinum

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.