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Botanical Family · Caryophyllales

Portulacaceae

Purslane Family

9 speciesOrder Caryophyllales8+ well-known plants

The Portulacaceae family (Purslane Family) is a botanical family placed in the order Caryophyllales. In the SASYA catalogue it spans 9 species across 2 genera. Its members are predominantly herbs. Well-represented genera include Portulaca and Talinum. Several members are valued in traditional medicine. Familiar examples include Sun plant, Common purselane and Shaggy Portulaca.

Browse all 9 species ↓
Representative PORTULACACEAE specimen
Representative specimen · Portulacaceae
Key pattern

Fleshy, water-storing leaves on low, often prostrate succulent herbs; short-lived flowers open only in sunlight, ripening into a capsule that pops open with a lid (circumscissile).

The fleshy leaves and stems store enough water that a pulled-up purslane plant can survive and even re-root for days on a bare surface — a trait that makes it a notoriously persistent garden weed.

Identify the species

Which Portulacaceae species is this?

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Flower ColorWhat color are the flowers?
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Pink
Pink-purple
Various bright colors
Yellow
Yellow-orange
Leaf ShapeWhat shape are the leaves?
Flat paddle-shaped
Narrow linear
Not sure / other

Notable members

Sun Plant, Common Rose Moss, Rose Moss, Ten O' Clock PlantPortulaca grandifloraCommon Purselane, Garden Purselane, Indian ParselanePortulaca oleraceaShaggy PortulacaPortulaca pilosaChicken WeedPortulaca quadrifidaTuberous PurslanePortulaca tuberosaWingpod PurslanePortulaca umbraticolaCeylon SpinachTalinum fruticosumFlameflowerTalinum portulacifolium

All 9 species in PORTULACACEAE

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