Purslane is a green, leafy vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked. It is known scientifically as Portulaca oleracea, and is also called pigweed, little hogweed, fatweed and pusley. This succulent plant contains about 93% water. It has a taproot with fibrous secondary roots and is able to tolerate poor compacted soils and drought. It has red stems and small, green leaves. It has a slightly sour or salty taste, similar to spinach and watercress. Purslane is also an all-around healthy food that contains a whole range of health-boosting nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidant vitamins, and minerals. It can be used in many of the same ways as spinach and lettuce, such as in salads or sandwiches.Purslane is often found thriving in the cracks of sidewalks and driveways even during summer’s heat. It often pops up in container gardens, flowerbeds, gardens, fields, waste ground and roadside.
| Name | Purslane |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Portulaca oleracea |
| Native | India and Persia and has spread throughout the world |
| Common/English Name | Common purslane, verdolaga, pigweed, little hogweed, red root, pursley, moss rose, duckweed, fatweed, pussley, wild portulaca, pourpier potager, pourpier gras |
| Plant Growth Habit | Succulent annual trailing plant |
| Growing Climate | Requires relatively less water and soil nutrients and grows well sunny climates. |
| Soil | Thrives in all soil types |
| Plant Size | 40 centimeters (16 in) in height. |
| Root | Taproot with fibrous secondary roots |
| Stem | Very fleshy or watery, smooth, reddish-green to purplish-red, repeatedly branched and often forming circular mats 30-60cm (1-2ft) in diameter or larger. |
| Leaf Shape & Size | Small, oblong, wedge shaped, thick and stalked, clustered together and are between 1/4 inch and 1 inch long, and 1/16 – 1/2 inch wide. |
| Leaf Color | Dark-green |
| Leaf Taste | Slightly sour and salty taste |
| Flower | Small, yellow, solitary or clustered, stalk less, placed above the last leaves on the branches and are up to 6 millimeters (0.24 in) wide |
| Flowering Season | June and July |
| Pods | Small green, egg or pear-shaped seed capsules |
| Seed | Nearly oval, wrinkled, and black with a whitish scar at one end. |
| Varieties/Types | Cupcake Peachy Purslane, Pazzazz Deep Pink Purslane, Pazzazz Salmon Glow Purslane |
| Major Nutrition | Iron, Fe 0.86 mg (10.75%) Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 9 mg (10.00%) Magnesium, Mg 29 mg (6.90%) Manganese, Mn 0.13 mg (5.65%) Copper, Cu 0.049 mg (5.44%) Potassium, K 212 mg (4.51%) Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.048 mg (3.69%) Calcium, Ca 28 mg (2.80%) Phosphorus, P 19 mg (2.71%) Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 0.031 mg (2.38%) |
| Health Benefits |
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| Calories in 1cup (43gm) | 9 Kcal |