Seaside purslane, Shoreline purslane
Sesuvium portulacastrum

Family: Aizoaceae

What it is like

A sprawling herb. This is a low lying fleshy plant. The stems are reddish at the nodes and 20 to 50 cm long with short upright branches. The stems are thick. The leaves are oblong and narrow. They can be 1-7 cm long by 2-15 mm wide. They are fleshy and glossy green. The flowers are small and pink or red. They are star like and have 5 petals. The occur singly in the axils of leaves. There are several pea shaped seeds. They are 1.5 mm across.

There are 8 Sesuvium species. They grow in tropical and subtropical salty locations.

Where it is found

A tropical and subtropical plant. It grows on mud flats and sand. It is often associated with mangroves. It occurs in paddy fields. It grows along the sea shore in the Philippines. It occurs along all coasts of Africa. It is very salt tolerant. It grows in the lowlands.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, American Samoa, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central America (country/location of origin), Chile, China, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Easter Island, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guiana, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Liberia, Malaysia, Maldives, Marquesas, Mauritania, Mediterranean, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, New Caledonia, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, North America, Pacific, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, St. Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies

How it is used for food

Young leaves are cooked and eaten. (Because they are salty sometimes the water needs to be changed.) They are also eaten raw with fish sauces. They are also pickled.

A commonly used minor leafy green used in many tropical countries. Leaves are sold in local markets. It is a cultivated plant.

Edible parts

Leaves, vegetable

How it is grown

It can be grown from cuttings or seeds. It is best in well drained sandy soils. A spacing of 75-150 cm is suitable.

Its other names

Local names

'Akulikuli, Bossaha, Burunque, Cenicilla, Dampalit, Dhapa, Enhade, Erwi, Gelang laut, Gelang pasir, Haichau, Jadu palang, Krokot, Lonumagoo, Nuntashak, Sagu sagu, Samphire, Sepit-sepit, Sepit, Sesepit, Strandpostelein, Taraumpalit, Te boi, Uondgi, Van kiru valai, Vangarreddi kura, Vungaravasee, Vungaravasi

Synonyms

Portulaca portulacastrum L.; Trianthema polyandra Blume;