Lythrum portula - (L.)D.A.Webb.

(L.)D.A.Webb.

Water Purslane, Spatulaleaf loosestrife

Lythraceae Edible: Leaves

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Description

Lythrum portula is a ANNUAL growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) by 0.3 m (1ft). It is in flower from June to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers wet soil and can grow in water.

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked.

Distribution

Europe, incl Britain, mainly central and northern areas but not the Arctic, east to the Caucasus.

Where It Grows

TEMPERATE ASIA: Turkey, Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia (Ciscaucasia), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation (Dagestan), Russian Federation-Western Siberia (Western Siberia), Russian Federation (Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Tyva, Respublika, Yakutia-Sakha), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, China (Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu (west)) NORTHERN AMERICA: United States (California) EUROPE: Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Ukraine, Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, France, Portugal AFRICA: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia

Cultivation

Requires a wet soil. Dislikes alkaline soils. This species was formerly cultivated for its edible leaves. A prostrate plant, the stem rooting as it creeps along the ground.