Portulaca in Orange Fading to Yellow #5

This piece has been featured in the FAA Group Zinnia or Multicolored Flowers.... more

by J McCombie

Title

Portulaca in Orange Fading to Yellow #5

Artist

J McCombie

Medium

Photograph

Description

This piece has been featured in the FAA Group "Zinnia or Multicolored Flowers".
Portulaca (purslane) is the type genus of the flowering plant family Portulacaceae, comprising about 40-100 species found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. They are also sometimes known as Rose Moss or more commonly Moss Roses.
Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is widely considered an edible plant, and in some areas an invasive type of weed. Some Portulaca species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Nutmeg (Hadula trifolii).
Purslane can be eaten raw or cooked, and lends itself to stir fry dishes. Some say it has a slight lemon-like taste and mushroom-like texture. It is relatively easy to grow in more northern climates, including the New England area in the United States.
The common name of moss rose is quite descriptive of this plant’s key ornamental features: ruffled, rose-like flowers (to 1” diameter) appearing on prostrate to slightly ascending stems that form a moss-like foliage mat. This annual is a succulent that typically grows to 6-8” tall and spreads to 12” wide or more. Flowers bloom summer to frost and come in single, semi-double or double forms in colors including red, rose, orange, yellow, white and pastel shades thereof. Flowers do not open on cloudy or rainy days. Cylindrical, fleshy, medium green leaves (to 1” long) appear in clusters along reddish stems.

Uploaded

February 20th, 2012