little hogweed
Family
PortulacaceaeScientific Name
Portulaca oleracea
Other Common Names:
duckweed
common purslane
wild portulaca
akulikuli-kula
pusley
pursley
Synonyms (former Scientific Names):
Portulaca neglecta
Portulaca oleracea ssp. impolita
Portulaca oleracea ssp. nitida
Portulaca oleracea ssp. nicaraguensis
Portulaca oleracea ssp. stellat
Portulaca oleracea ssp. granulatostellulata
Portulaca retusa
Portulaca oleracea ssp. papillatostellulata
Habit
Common purslane is an annual that grows rapidly in spring and summer. It thrives under dry conditions but also competes well in irrigated situations. Plants prefer loose, nutrient-rich, sandy soil.
Leaves
Leaves are very succulent, often tinged red, and wedge-shaped. They are opposite or alternate along the stem and are without petioles.
Identifying Characteristics
Leaves and stems of this plant are hairless, thick, fleshy and very succulent. Stems are reddish-brown and round.
Flower Seed Head
Small yellow flowers are born singly or in clusters of two or three in stem axils or at tips of stems. Flowers usually open only on sunny mornings. Purslane seeds are very tiny and produced in abundance.
Seed Fruit
The fruit is an oval, many-seeded capsule (4-8 mm long by 3-5 mm wide) that splits open around the middle.
Where Found
It has been cultivated in India and the Middle East and has been popular in Europe since the Middle Ages. In the United States, common purslane is a minor crop because of its use in ethnic cooking and its reputed health benefits.
Growth Habit
prostrate and nonwoody
Thorns or Spines
not present
Approximate Flower Diameter
pencil
Dominant Flower Color
Varies:
white,
yellow
Flower Symmetry
radial symmetery
Leaf Hairs
no hairs
Leaf Shape
Varies:
round,
oval
Leaf Arrangement
Varies:
alternate,
opposite
Leaf Margin
entire
Leaf Structure
simple
Leaf Stalk
none
Stem Hairs
no hairs
Stem Cross Section
round or oval
Milky Sap
not present
Root Structure
Varies:
fibrous,
taproot
Life Cycle
summer annual
Ochrea
not present
Plant Type
Herb