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Portulaca

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Portulaca
A large array of Portulaca umbraticola and Portulaca oleracea (middle right)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Portulacaceae
Genus: Portulaca
L.[1]
Species

see text

Synonyms[2]
  • Halimus P.Browne
  • Lemia Vand.
  • Merida Neck.
  • Meridiana L.f.
  • Sedopsis (Engl.) Exell & Mendonça

Portulaca (/ˌpɔːrtjˈlkə/,[3] is the type genus of the flowering plant family Portulacaceae, with over 100 species, found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. They are known as the purslanes.

Portulaca 'All Aglow'
Portulaca grandiflora 'Bicolor'
Portulaca seeds ad by D. M. Ferry & Company of Detroit

Common purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is widely consumed as an edible plant, and in some areas it is invasive. Portulaca grandiflora is a well-known ornamental garden plant. Purslanes are relished by chickens. Some Portulaca species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the nutmeg moth (Hadula trifolii).

Species

The following species are accepted:[2]

Formerly placed here

Pink Portulaca Flower from volunteer plant growing in a pot indoors

References

  1. ^ "Genus: Portulaca L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 1998-04-28. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2011-03-04.
  2. ^ a b "Portulaca L." Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Portulaca". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)