WEEDS OF MAINE, 247 



whorls at the joints, about an inch long. Flowers small, white, in the axils of the 

 leaves, forming little clusters. 



A weed introduced from the South. Frequently troublesome in 

 sandy soil. 



Order 7. PURSLANES — Portulacace^. Plants of this order 

 grow mostly in arid or dry situations. They possess no remark- 

 able properties. 



23. Common Purslane — Portulaca oleracea. Annual. jStem six to fifteen inches long, 

 prostrate, fleshy, smooth and branching, reddish. Leaves Qeshy , about one inch long, 

 wedge-shaped. Flowers small, yellow. 



Common Pueslane. 



This is one of the most common and pernicious of garden 

 weeds. It is doubtless a naturalized stranger with us, thought 

 to have been introduced from Europe. It is considered native 

 west of the Mississippi. The name purslane comes from an 

 old French name for the plant, pourcellaine. The specific name 

 oleracea, is derived from the Latin olus, a pot herb, indicating that 

 the plant was formerly used as food. It is even now used as such 

 by some people. The purslane is very tenacious of life, con- 

 tinuing to grow even after having been kept between papers for 

 weeks. This makes the plant very diflScult to eradicate, for the 

 stems, if not removed from the ground, will quickly take root again. 



