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Photographer: Emmet J. Judziewicz
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Family Portulacaceae
Portulaca oleracea L.
common purslane, little hogweed, purslane, pusley
Portulaca: an old name, probably Latin, from words meaning "small gate or door" because of the capsule lid
oleracea: of the vegetable garden
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| Status: | Introduced (?) - naturalized |
| Plant: | matting, annual, 1"-20" tall forb, smooth, succulent; stems usually purple-red and with many branches |
| Flower: | yellow, 4-6 (usually 5)-parted, 1/4"-1/3" wide, stalkless, mostly 6-10 stamens; inflorescence of a solitary flower or in small, rounded, terminal clumps; blooms June-Sept. |
| Leaf: | succulent, 1/4"-1" long, oval to spoon-shaped, flat with rounded tip |
| Habitat: | disturbed sites such as gardens |
| Notes: | leaves edible when young |
| (Glossary) |
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