Portulacaceae

Purslane Family

Purslanes

FAMILY: Purslane family (Portulacaceae) – Portulaca genus.

SPECIES: All species are edible. #1 silkcotton or desert purslane (Portulaca halimoides L.). #2 common purslane, pusley, little hogweed, or verdolaga (Portulaca oleracea L. = Portulaca retusa Engelm.). #3 pink purslane or kiss me quick (Portulaca pilosa L.). #4 shrubby or spiderweb purslane (Portulaca suffrutescens Engelm.). #5 winged purslane or Chinese hats (Portulaca umbraticola Kunth).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: All species of the Portulaca genus are edible (Brill pp. 28-29). Common purslane (P. oleracea) and pink purslane (P. pilosa) also have edible seeds. None of the species listed above are known to have edible roots, but the tuberous roots of spiderweb purslane (P. suffrutescens) were sampled for this reference and described below.

Silkcotton purslane (P. halimoides) is native to southwestern North America. It also grows in South America. Silkcotton purslane is a desert species that can bloom almost anytime in response to rainfall. Its long, narrow, finger-like leaves easily distinguish it from common purslane. I never found silkcotton purslane nor did I find any specific references to its edibility. Plant expert Wendy Hodgson indicates that if this native species was once used as food by people of the Sonoran Desert, its use was discontinued sometime after the introduction and subsequent dominance of common purslane.

Common purslane (P. oleracea) has been cultivated as a leafy vegetable for many centuries and cave excavations indicate that the seeds were consumed in prehistoric times (Brill p. 28). Fresh leaves are crisp, tender, succulent, salty, nutritious, mucilaginous, and slightly acidic. They’re very pleasant and easily rank among the top 10 best plants for salads. None of their characteristics are overly strong, except for the salty and mucilaginous ones. Common purslane can be very slimy. The leaves are best when eaten fresh. Simmering reduces the salty flavor, breaks down the mucilage, and turns the pleasantly crisp texture to mush. An herb-flavored salt can be made by chopping and drying the leaves. The stems are similar to the leaves, except for being tough. They can be utilized in the same ways as the leaves. Common purslane seeds can also be utilized as food. Fresh seeds are small, black, and bumpy. Collections develop within capsules that readily split open. Plants commonly turn red and retain moisture when the seeds are ready to harvest. Drying may be necessary to facilitate winnowing because seeds stick to anything moist. Once dry, chaff readily blows away. Harvesting the seeds after the plants have completely dried may be too late. Most of the seeds are gone by then. If whole plants are gathered shortly prior to when the capsules mature and placed on a tarp, the capsules will continue to mature and drop the seeds onto the tarp. This harvesting technique works well with most succulent plants. Spotting colonies of purslane is easy. If seeds are harvested directly from the colonies, a gentle hand is needed. Rough handling knocks the lids off the capsules and drops the seeds to the ground. Once grounded, the tiny seeds are lost. Common purslane seeds have tremendous food value. They taste mild and starchy. It’s not a grain-like flavor. When eaten raw, the texture is delicately crunchy. The black seed coats impart a bran-like consistency. Any method of cooking produces good results. Toasting is particularly good. Seed bars benefit from the addition of these seeds. Botanists are unsure of where common purslane is native to, but there’s no doubt that it’s now common on every continent except Antarctica. In the southwestern United States, it usually blooms in response to summer rainstorms. Seeds can be expected in late summer or autumn. Common purslane is considered to be a noxious weed, but wise foragers never overlook this valuable resource.

Pink purslane (P. pilosa) is a common species throughout much of the world in warm climates, including the southern United States. Seeds of this species were harvested by the Zuni Indians of western New Mexico (Hodgson pp. 221-222). I never found this species in the wild nor did I find any detailed accounts of the flavor, texture, and aroma of the various parts in other literature. Pink purslane can bloom year-round. In the Southwest, it grows in response to sufficient rainfall.

Spiderweb purslane (P. suffrutescens) leaves are mucilaginous, fibrous, salty, and considerably less appealing than those of other species. Leaves of this southwestern North America native can be outright distasteful and barely suitable for consumption. They make poor-quality salad material and cooking offers very little improvement. Plant expert Wendy Hodgson reports that some native people of the Sonoran Desert did not use spiderweb purslane as a leafy vegetable. Roots of this species taste much better than the leaves, but they are not reported to be edible. Spiderweb purslane is a perennial species with tuberous roots. Fresh roots are off-white and covered by tan skins. Roots of young plants are tender, salty, starchy, and mucilaginous. They’re pleasant to eat right out of the ground, and even better when baked over the glowing embers of a campfire. The stringy cores are small compared to the outer fleshy layers. Based on flavor, spiderweb purslane roots are a decent wild food, but without a reference stating they are edible, consumption is not recommended. Like most species, spiderweb purslane grows abundantly in response to summer rainfall.

Winged purslane (P. umbraticola) appears to be a top-quality wild food, equaling or exceeding the quality of common purslane described above. Taste, texture, aroma, and other aspects of the leaves are comparable to common purslane. Winged purslane serves well in soups or salads. Salt and mucilage content is relatively low, and bitterness is rarely a problem. Winged purslane is a welcome weed of summer.

NOTES: A 100 gram serving of raw purslane (Portulaca oleracea) leaves contains: 20 kilocalories, 92.86 grams of water, 2.03 g protein, 0.36 g fat, 3.39 g carbohydrates, 1.36 g ash, 65 mg calcium, 44 mg phosphorus, 68 mg magnesium, 1.99 mg iron, 0.17 mg zinc, 45 mg sodium, 494 mg potassium, 0.133 mg copper, 0.303 mg manganese, 0.9 µg selenium, 1,320 IU vitamin A, 21.0 mg vitamin C, and many other nutrients. Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

IDENTIFICATION: The Portulaca genus is represented by 10 species in the United States, of which 5 occur in the Southwest. Most genera in the purslane family have ovary superior flowers, but those of Portulaca are partially inferior.

Description of silkcotton purslane (Portulaca halimoides): FORM low-growing, succulent, fibrous-rooted, annual plant; stems about 3-25 cm long; LEAVES simple; alternate or clustered (especially below the flowers); axils of upper leaves densely hairy; blades linear to narrowly spatulate; rounded in cross section; margins smooth; tips acute or obtuse; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary partially inferior, sessile, and arranged individually or a few in clusters; sepals 2; petals 5, free, yellow; styles 1; stigmas 3-5; stamens 4-18; FRUITS capsules obovoid and splitting around the equators (circumscissile); the rims not expanded into wings; SEEDS numerous, grayish, and generally smooth; HABITAT open areas, disturbed areas, sandy areas, and washes; primarily in Arizona and New Mexico; blooming May to October.

Description of common purslane (Portulaca oleracea): FORM low-growing, succulent, tap-rooted, annual plant; stems 5-40 cm long; LEAVES simple; alternate or clustered (especially below the flowers); axils of upper leaves hairless; blades narrowly to broadly spatulate or obovate, and flat in cross section; margins smooth; tips rounded, cut off, or notched; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary partially inferior, sessile, and arranged individually or a few in clusters; sepals 2; petals 5, free, yellow, and notched; styles 1; stigmas 3-6, yellow; stamens 6-12, yellow; FRUITS capsules ovoid, splitting around the equators (circumscissile); the rims not expanded into wings; SEEDS numerous, black, kidney-shaped, and bumpy; HABITAT open disturbed sites; throughout the United States and most of the world; blooming June to October.

Description of pink purslane (Portulaca pilosa): FORM low-lying to upright, succulent, annual plant; roots fibrous-fleshy; stems 3-25 cm long; LEAVES simple; alternate or clustered (especially below the flowers); axils of upper leaves densely hairy; blades linear to narrowly spatulate; rounded in cross section; margins smooth; tips usually acute; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary partially inferior, sessile, and arranged individually or a few in clusters; sepals 2; petals 5, free, pink to purple; styles 1; stigmas 3-6; stamens 5-12 or more; FRUITS capsules splitting around the equators (circumscissile), the rims not expanded into wings; SEEDS numerous, grayish-black; surfaces smooth or bumpy; HABITAT open areas and disturbed sites; Arizona to Florida; blooming May to October or potentially year-round in warm climates.

Description of spiderweb purslane (Portulaca suffrutescens): FORM upright, succulent, tuberous, perennial plant about 7-35 cm tall; LEAVES simple; alternate or clustered (especially below the flowers); axils of upper leaves densely hairy; blades linear; rounded in cross section; margins smooth; tips usually acute; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary partially inferior, sessile, usually more than 20 mm in diameter, and arranged individually or a few in clusters; sepals 2; petals 5, free, orange-copper; styles 1; stigmas 4-7; stamens 15-30; FRUITS capsules egg-shaped or globe-shaped, splitting around the equators (circumscissile); rims not expanded into wings; SEEDS numerous, grayish, often somewhat shiny; surfaces usually with rows and bumps; HABITAT open areas and disturbed sites; southern Arizona to southern Texas; blooming in summer.

Description of Chinese hats (Portulaca umbraticola): FORM low-lying to upright, succulent, fibrous-rooted, annual plant about 4-20 tall; LEAVES simple; alternate; axils hairless or sparsely hairy; blades narrowly to broadly oval, lanceolate, spatulate, or obovate; flat in cross section; margins smooth; tips rounded or cut off; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary partially inferior, sessile, and arranged individually or a few in clusters; sepals 2; petals 5, free, yellow, pink, or salmon (often a combination of these colors); styles 1; stigmas 3-15; stamens 7-30; FRUITS capsules egg-shaped or top-shaped; splitting around the equators (circumscissile); rims expanded into conspicuous wings; SEEDS numerous, grayish; surfaces usually bumpy; HABITAT deserts, especially in sandy soils; Arizona to Texas and Oklahoma; blooming May to October.

REFERENCES: Brill (pp. 28-29) indicates that all species of the Portulaca genus are edible. Common purslane (Portulaca oleracea): stems, leaves, and seeds Couplan (p. 112), Hodgson (pp. 221-222), and Vizgirdas (p. 155); leaves Bermejo (pp. 310-314).