Purslane

Portulaca oleracea, P. quadrifida

leaf

Small fleshy leaves and reddish stems of a plant that grows everywhere, often pulled up as a weed; raw in salads, crunchy and tangy. It is known for its plant omega-3, and provides beta-carotene and vitamin K1.

Origin

India and Middle East

Season (United States)

May to October · grows in your region

Preparation

Everything is eaten, stems included. It grows at ground level and catches the splashes of watering: washing it leaf by leaf, in plenty of water, beats a quick rinse of the whole bunch. Its oxalates leach into water: boiling it and throwing the water out takes a good share with it.

Molecules

Mucilages · Beta-carotene (vitamin A) · Lutein and zeaxanthin · Vegetable nitrates · Vitamin K1 · Plant omega-3 (ALA) · ChlorophyllWhat slows things down Oxalates

Did you know?

It is one of the very few plants able to switch between two ways of photosynthesising: it shifts from one to the other when drought comes.