Horse Purslane (Trianthema Portulacastrum)
Aizoaceae (Fig-marigold Family)
Group: Dicot (Broadleaf)
Fleshy, succulent annual herb with reclining smooth stems, native of eastern and tropical Africa. Plant branches from the base. It is commonly found in cultivated fields, pastures, and roadsides.
Leaves are opposite, smooth, in pairs with one being larger than the other, on short stalks. Leaves are 5/8 to 1-5/8 inches long, broad and rounded at the tip, tapering to the base, typically larger than those found on common purslane.
Stem is erect when young and become prostrate and branched from the base as the plant matures.
Flowers are solitary, stalkless, and occur in the leaf axils. Flowers are pink on the inside, and green on the outside, in contrast to common purslane, which has yellow flowers.
Roots are fibrous from a taproot.
Propagation is by seed.