Thread: Purslane
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Old 02-05-2010, 07:31 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Stewart Robert Hinsley Stewart Robert Hinsley is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2006
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Default Purslane

In message , Christina Websell
writes
I was given some a few years ago, and understood I can eat it. Now it's
spread enough I have my eyes on it for a salad ingredient.
It's a variant = the flowers are pink.
Looks a bit like chickweed. but leaves are larger.

Anyone else have pink purslane?


Are you talking about a pink form of Portulaca oleracea (usually
yellow-flowered), or the naturalised Claytonia (or Montia) sibirica?

The latter was common in the wild around here a few years back, but
seems to have declined since. I've only seen it on one site so far this
year, but I expect I'll find others over the next few weeks. (This
year's usually common plant is Veronica hederifolia agg.)

If the latter, it sounds as if you need confirmation that Claytonia
sibirica is edible. (Fide Wikipedia, Portulaca oleracea contains oxalic
acid, so at some point overconsumption would be a problem.)
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley