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Common Purslane
Portulaca oleracea
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An annual herb growing in fields and roadsides. Its succulent stems and leaves are drought-resistant, thriving vigorously even in midsummer heat. The leaves are edible and used as a vegetable worldwide.
Identification Points
- βStems and leaves succulent and glossy
- βLeaves spatulate to obovate, alternate to subopposite
- βSmall yellow flowers open during the day (morning only)
Habitat
Fields, roadsides, and vacant lots
Season
JulyβSeptember (flowers)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Herb
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Habitat
Cultivated
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf margin
Entire
Petal count
Many
Petal fusion
Fused
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Plant sex
Hermaphrodite
Stamen count
1-2
Phylogenetic PositionγΉγγͺγγ¦η§ β
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core Eudicots > Caryophyllales > Portulacaceae
Divergence Era
Paleogene (ca. 50 million years ago)
Evolution Notes
Portulacaceae belongs to Caryophyllales; drought tolerance utilizing CAM photosynthesis supported its worldwide distribution.
View on evolution timeline βSources & References
AI-generated, needs verification