portulaca

[ pawr-chuh-lak-uh, pohr- ]

/ ˌpɔr tʃəˈlæk ə, ˌpoʊr- /

noun

any of various fleshy-leaved plants of the genus Portulaca, especially P. grandiflora, widely cultivated for its showy, variously colored flowers.

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Origin of portulaca

1540–50; < New Latin, genus name, Latin: purslane

Words nearby portulaca

portuguese india, portuguese man-of-war, portuguese timor, portuguese water dog, portuguese west africa, portulaca, portulacaceous, porus, porţile de fier, pos, pos.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for portulaca

I mean, the portulaca and heliotrope and other old-fashioned plants she dug up for me.
Natalie: A Garden Scout|Lillian Elizabeth Roy
The leaves are said to contain malic acid in considerable quantity, and have been eaten as salad, like Portulaca.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 7|Various
A pea-plant, with ternate leaves, and fine yellow blossoms, was found near our camp: Portulaca was very abundant.
Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia|Ludwig Leichhardt
Portulaca smiles at you, you know, when you get up soon enough in the morning to see it in its glory.
The Master of Warlock|George Cary Eggleston

Soppy little plants of the portulaca and small, fine ferns shiver under the drip of falls and in dribbling crevices.
The Land of Little Rain|Mary Austin

British Dictionary definitions for portulaca

portulaca

/ (ˌpɔːtjʊˈlækə, -ˈleɪkə) /

noun

any portulacaceous plant of the genus Portulaca, such as rose moss and purslane, of tropical and subtropical America, having yellow, pink, or purple showy flowers

Word Origin for portulaca

C16: from Latin: purslane

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012