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| Portulaca | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Portulacaceae |
| Genus: | Portulaca L.[1] |
| Species | |
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see text | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Portulaca (/ˌpɔːrtjuːˈleɪkə/[3]) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Portulacaceae, and is the type genus of the family. With over 100 species, it is found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. Portulacas are also known as the purslanes.
Common purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is widely consumed as an edible plant, and in some areas it is invasive. Portulaca grandiflora is a well-known ornamental garden plant. Purslanes are relished by chickens. Some Portulaca species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the nutmeg moth (Hadula trifolii).
- ^ "Genus: Portulaca L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 1998-04-28. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2011-03-04.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
325899-2was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Portulaca". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)