Portulacaceae

From Food & Medicine Encyclopedia

Portulacaceae is a large family of flowering plants, known as the purslane family. The family includes about 20 genera with about 500 species, ranging from herbaceous plants to shrubs. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, with the highest diversity in semi-arid regions of the Southern Hemisphere in Africa, Australia, and South America, but with a few species also extending north into the Arctic.

Description[edit]

Members of the Portulacaceae are annual or perennial plants. They are succulent xerophytes and have a cosmopolitan distribution, with the highest diversity in semi-arid regions of the Southern Hemisphere in Africa, Australia, and South America, but with a few species also extending north into the Arctic.

Taxonomy[edit]

The Portulacaceae family was first described by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789. The name of the family comes from the type genus Portulaca.

Genera[edit]

The Portulacaceae family includes about 20 genera. Some of the most well-known genera include Portulaca, Claytonia, and Lewisia.

Uses[edit]

Many species are used as ornamental plants, and some are also cultivated for their edible leaves.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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