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portulaca

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

noun

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



portulaca

/ -ˈleɪkə, ˌpɔːtjʊˈlækə /

noun

  1. 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

“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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of portulaca1

1540–50; < New Latin, genus name, Latin: purslane
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Word History and Origins

Origin of portulaca1

C16: from Latin: purslane
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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He liked rarities such as the connoisseur’s rambling rose, Aviateur Bleriot, but he saw the same regal presence in a humble nasturtium or that fleshy summer annual no longer in vogue, portulaca.

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Annuals that have been sown in the greenhouse or hotbed may be planted out, and seeds of such sorts as mignonette, sweet alyssum, Phlox Drummondii, portulaca, &c., may be sown in the beds or borders.

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The same is true with dahlias, zinnias, lilies, gladioli, pinks, and portulacas.

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The wild portulaca is very abundant, and in seasons favorable to its development is a very noticeable little plant.

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She leaned over the porch railing and stared down into the bed of gay portulaca that Grandmother tended with such care both night and morning.

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Portuguese West Africaportulacaceous