The purslane family (Portulacaceae) formerly contained some 20 genera with about 500 species.
The origin of the name could be the word portula, a small door, in reference to the fruit and capsule opening, like a lid of a box. Another hypothesis would be to bring the name of the genus closer to porcus, pig, this plant having been used to feed pigs.
They are herbaceous, perennial or annual, generally hairy and fleshy and have a cosmopolitan distribution, with the highest diversity in semiarid regions of the Southern Hemisphere in Africa, Australia, and South America, but with a few species also extending north into Arctic regions.
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is used as a vegetable in Belgium. In Iran, the vegetable has been eaten for more than 2,000 years. There are also cultivars with large flowers for the ornamental garden. Purslane contains the most omega-3 fatty acids of the leafy vegetables.
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Image of Portulaca grandiflora by Borremans P.
On this map you find all the locations of transcribed records of the project "Portulacaceae".
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