Purslanes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of succulent plants belonging to the genus Portulaca, often featuring fleshy leaves and vibrant flowers
2. They are commonly found in gardens and as ground cover due to their hardiness and drought resistance
3. The leaves of some varieties can be consumed and are known for their nutritional benefits and tangy flavor

Etymology: "Purslanes" is simply the plural of "purslane," the name of a fleshy, low-growing plant with succulent leaves. The singular has the more interesting history. It came into English from Old French "porcelaine," a word that today means porcelain, the fine ceramic. The plant's name was not originally connected to that material at all: it descends from Latin "porcilaca," a term for the plant that is closely related to "portulaca," the scientific genus name still used for purslane. The link to porcelain appears to be an accident of sound rather than meaning. Speakers apparently reshaped the plant's name so that it resembled "porcelaine," a more familiar word, and the altered form stuck. Purslane's hardy, water-storing leaves are the reason it thrives in dry gardens today, but the name's modern shape owes more to a similar-sounding word than to anything about the plant itself.

Synonyms: purslane, vegetable, herb, green, leafy plant