**tiny pink flower with succlent leaves(wild)

Discussion in 'Plant ID' started by StillPinkie, Aug 23, 2009.

  1. StillPinkie

    StillPinkie New Seed

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    (posted this once but it didnt go thru)

    The flowers are smaller than your pinkie nail and the young leaves remind me of a Moss rose but then as they mature, they flatten out. It grows wild in moms yard and in the neighbors yard. If its dry it will fold itself up but never dies (EVER). When you keep them moist, they become great groundcover, that is low, and very thick. Its been mowed over a trillon times and I walk on them, stand on them, theyve been driven over, dug up, covered with sand (in digging in the yard) and they just keep going. You can abuse these things and they just keep going and looking so pretty.

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    Theres about 30 lil cuttings in this one pot from when the lawn ppl where here and mowed them over.
    Watzit?

    Thanks
    :stew2: Pinkie :stew1:
     
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  3. Netty

    Netty Chaotic Gardener Plants Contributor

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    Common Purslane ??
     
  4. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    It does look rather like purslane - probably Pink purslane/Claytonia sibirica.
     
  5. StillPinkie

    StillPinkie New Seed

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    Yep its a Pink Purslane is also known as Kiss Me Quick tho the Latin name is Portulaca pilosa !!!( tho this one isnt a annual) Thanks!!!

    "Portulaca oleracea (Common Purslane, also known as Verdolaga, Pigweed, Little Hogweed or Pusley), is an annual succulent in the family Portulacaceae, which can reach 40 cm in height. About 40 varieties are currently cultivated.[1] It has an extensive old-world distribution extending from North Africa through the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent to Malesia and Australasia. The species status in the New World is uncertain: it is generally considered an exotic weed; however, there is evidence that the species was in Crawford Lake deposits (Ontario) in 1430-89, suggesting that it reached North America in the pre-Columbian era[2]. It is naturalised elsewhere and in some regions is considered an invasive weed. It has smooth, reddish, mostly prostrate stems and alternate leaves clustered at stem joints and ends. The yellow flowers have five regular parts and are up to 6 mm wide. The flowers appear depending upon rainfall and may occur year round. The flowers open singly at the center of the leaf cluster for only a few hours on sunny mornings. Seeds are formed in a tiny pod, which opens when the seeds are ready. Purslane has a taproot with fibrous secondary roots and is able to tolerate poor, compacted soils and drought.

    Culinary usage

    A Purslane cultivar grown as a vegetableAlthough purslane is considered a weed in the United States, it can be eaten as a leaf vegetable. It has a slightly sour and salty taste and is eaten throughout much of Europe, Asia and Mexico.[3][1] The stems, leaves and flower buds are all good to eat. Purslane can be used fresh as a salad, stir-fried, or cooked like spinach, and because of its mucilaginous quality it is also suitable for soups and stews. Australian Aborigines used to use the seeds to make seedcakes.

    Purslane contains more Omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid in particular[4]) than any other leafy vegetable plant. Simopoulos states that Purslane has .01 mg/g of Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). This is an extraordinary amount of EPA for land based vegetable sources. EPA is an Omega-3 fatty acid normally found mostly in fish, some algae and flax seeds. [5] It also contains vitamins (mainly vitamin A, vitamin C, and some vitamin B and carotenoids), as well as dietary minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron. Also present are two types of betalain alkaloid pigments, the reddish betacyanins (visible in the coloration of the stems) and the yellow betaxanthins (noticeable in the flowers and in the slight yellowish cast of the leaves). Both of these pigment types are potent antioxidants and have been found to have antimutagenic properties in laboratory studies.[6]

    100 grams of fresh purslane leaves (about 1 cup) contain 300 to 400 mg of alpha-linolenic acid [7]. One cup of cooked leaves contains 90 mg of calcium, 561 mg of potassium, and more than 2,000 IUs of vitamin A.


    Medicinal usage
    In Greek popular medicine, purslane is used as a remedy for constipation and inflammation of the urinary system.

    A common plant in parts of India, purslane is known as "Sanhti", "Punarva", or "Kulfa". In North India it is known to act as a liver tonic and is used in diseases of the liver[citation needed].

    Known as Ma Chi Xian (pinyin: translates literally as "horse tooth amaranth") in Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is used to treat infections or bleeding of the genito-urinary tract as well as dysentery. The fresh herb may also be applied topically to relieve sores and insect or snake bites on the skin.[8]"
    "

    I didnt know this. Im very much into herbs and herbal remedies. I need to look into this more before I decide to eat my pretty plant for lunch.
     



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  6. StillPinkie

    StillPinkie New Seed

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    I currently use this plant in different parts of my garden to fill in holes but it mainly use it to gadge the water intake in that area. If it blooms, theres enough water, if it curls up, I give the area more water.
     
  7. glendann

    glendann Official Garden Angel

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    I had a wonderful basket of those apricot and tangerine I think as Cajunbelle sent them to me.They all died in the heat and I couldn't stop
    it.
     
  8. calinromania

    calinromania Young Pine

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    OMG.... you can EAT this?
    I am sooo angry with it. it's a weed, and it's everywhere in my little garden. although it doesn't make these cute pink flowers but rather yellowish and much smaller. is it the same?
    it's multiplying like crazy... gives me a hard time trying to get rid of it!
    :)
     
  9. StillPinkie

    StillPinkie New Seed

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    It says you can eat it. I nibbled a test piece last night with my mom laughing at me. There was no famous last words of "HEY!! Watch this" Just" if anything happens, be a doll and call 911, thanks." LOL

    Its got a tangy/sweet taste and smells like lettace when you crack it open.

    My brother has the orange and pink ones, Glendann. But all the purslanes in the yards are doing find. Turns out I am growing all kinds of purlanes and didnt know it lol
     

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