Sea Purslane (Sesuvium portulacastrum)
Sea Purslane (Sesuvium portulacastrum) is a sprawling perennial herb in the family Aizoaceae that grows in coastal and mangrove areas.
It grows in sandy clay, coastal limestone and sandstone, tidal flats and salt marshes, throughout much of the world. It is native to Africa, Asia, Australia, Hawai, North America and South America,
It has smooth, fleshy, glossy green leaves that are linear or lanceolate.
Its flowers come from at the leaf axils, they are tiny, 0.5 centimetres in diameter and pink or purple in colour. They close at night time or when the sky is cloudy, they are pollinated by bees and moths.
The fruit is a round capsule, it has tiny black seeds that do not float.
MEDICINAL USE
The plant extract is found to have antibacterial and antifungal properties.
HUMAN CONSUMPTION
Sesuvium portulacastrum is eaten in the Philippines, where it is called dampalit in Tagalog and "bilang" or "bilangbilang" in the Visayan language.The plant is primarily pickled and eaten as atchara (sweet traditional pickles).
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