Herb
Portulaca oleracea
B tier
Portulaca oleracea is common purslane—succulent, lemony-mucilaginous leaves and stems, omega-3 rich wild and garden green. Texture is juicy and slightly slippery; flavour is clean, acidic, mild salt. Use raw in salads or briefly wilted. The species covers both weedy wild forms and improved garden types.
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Unit
Characteristics
Preparations
Light WiltRaw SaladSoupTzatziki Style
Traits
JuicyLemonLemonyMucilaginousSpecies LevelSpecies UmbrellaSucculent Green
History
Old World and later New World peoples ate Portulaca as a wild pot herb.
Linnaeus named Portulaca oleracea common purslane.
Kitchen gardens cultivated improved purslane beside weedy forms.
Nutrition interest revived purslane as an omega-3 leafy green.