Portulaca oleracea L.
 

by Bonnie Woods Native Plants of Arizona 2007
Common names: Little Hogweed (1), Common Purslane 2, Pursley(2), Wild Purslane(2), Verdalagas (2)
Family: Portulaceae (1)
Synonymy: Portulaca neglecta, Portulaca retusa
Etymology: Portulaca-  named by Pliny, meaning Milk carrier, Oleracea-  from the latin meaning cultivated, pot herb or vegetable. (3)

Identification
Growth form: Prostrate up to 2 feet long, sometimes loosely erect (2)
Roots: Taproots (4)
Stem: Reddish orange in color. The stems root where they touch the ground (2)
Leaves: Simple, green with reddish margin, fleshy with a mucilaginous inner texture (5)
Inflorescence/flowers: Small yellow flowers with 5 petals about 1/4” wide (4)
Similar species:  Portulaca grandiflora- Moss Rose: Similar, but with more lance shaped leaves and showy flowers   Portulaca haliniodes- similar but with small lance-shaped leaves   Portulaca pilosum- Similar but stems are more woody and leaves are small and sparse. (6) 

Ecology
Life history: Annual (5).
Native/introduced: Introduced from western Asia and southern Europe (4).
Photosynthetic pathway: C4 or CAM depending on environmental condition (7) (did you find this out?  Many succulents are CAM—better to be accurate but not precise)
Phenology:  Blooms June to September (5).
Distribution: 1,000 to 8,500 feet in clearings, roadsides, gardens, ponderosa Pine forest. It is found in all Arizona counties except La Paz, Yuma and Pinal counties. Grows throughout the United states, North America, Europe and Eurasia (1)

Uses: The above ground portions of the plants are high in iron and can be used for salads and stews (5).

References

1.       USDA, NRCS. 2007. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 29 October 2007). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 708744-4490 USA.

2.       United States Department of Agriculture. 1971. Common Weeds of the US. Dover New  York New york USA.

  3. Gledhill, D. 2002. The Names of Plants. 3^rd edition. Cambridge UK

4.  McDougal, W.B. 1973.  Seed Plants of Northern Arizona. The Museum of Northern Arizona.  Flagstaff, Arizona.

5.  Epple, A. O.  1995.  A Field Guide to the Plants of Arizona.  Falcon Publishing.  Helena, Montana.

6.   Bair, A., M. Howe, D. Roth, R. Taylor, T. Ayers, and R.W. Kiger.  Portulacaceae (Purslane Family).  Canotia, 2(1):  1-22.

7. Sengbusch P. 2003. C₃, C₄ and CAM. Regulation of The Activity of Photosynthesis http://www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de/b-online/e24/24b.htm Accessed 12/06/07 Flagstaff AZ 86001.