PortulacaPortulaca intraterranea
Commonly known as Buttercup Pigweed, or Buttercup Pigface, Portulaca intraterranea is a small succulent that is very similar to Portulaca oleracea.
The leaves spiral along the stems, nearly opposite each other, and are about 0.5-2.5 cm long, 4-10 mm wide. The leaves are flat, hairless, and with blunt or sometimes notched tips. The flowers are yellow, with 5 notched petals, singularly or up to cluster of 4 at the bases of the leaves.
Common name
Buttercup Pigweed, Buttercup Pigface, Large Pigweed.
A prostrate, sprawling succulent herb, it is both an annual or sometimes a perennial forb that is native to arid desert regions of Central Australia.
This large pigweed has thick taproot that is eaten and tastes like potato.
| WARNING Extreme care must be taken when identifying edible food plants and those used in bush medicine. Some bush foods are only edible at different stages of the plant cycle, or when treated appropriately. Bush medicine should only be used under the guidance of a qualified physician. Information here is only provided for research. You should always seek experts in the field to confirm the identification of the plant and whether they are edible or appropriate. |
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Tracheophyta
- Suibphylum: Angiospermae
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- Order: Caryophyllales
- Family: Portulacaceae
- Genus: Portulaca
- Species: Portulaca intraterranea
Footnote & References
- Portulaca intraterranea, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/1261552-Portulaca-intraterranea
- Portulaca intraterranea – A “Desert Gem”, by Blogger Grey Gum, 1 February 2013, http://australianportulaca.blogspot.com/2013/02/portulaca-intraterranea-desert-gem.html
PortulacaPortulaca intraterranea
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