Sesuvium portulacastrum

Sesuvium portulacastrum is a sprawling perennial herb in the family Aizoaceae that grows in coastal and mangrove areas throughout much of the world. 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`i, North America and South America, and has naturalised in many places where it is not indigenous. It is commonly known as shoreline purslane or (ambiguously) "sea purslane," in English, dampalit in Tagalog and 海马齿 hǎimǎchǐ in Chinese.

Description

A sprawling herb. This is a low lying fleshy plant. The stems are reddish at the nodes and 20 to 50 cm long with short upright branches. The stems are thick. The leaves are oblong and narrow. They can be 1-7 cm long by 2-15 mm wide. They are fleshy and glossy green. The flowers are small and pink or red. They are star like and have 5 petals. The occur singly in the axils of leaves. There are several pea shaped seeds. They are 1.5 mm across.

Edible Uses

The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked and are considered an excellent vegetable with a salty, succulent texture and an acidulous flavour similar to sorrel. Because they are very salty, they require repeated boiling in fresh water before eating. They can also be pickled. The leaves are a good source of vitamin C. The plant is gathered from the wild in many countries and is sometimes sold in local markets.

Traditional Uses

Young leaves are cooked and eaten. (Because they are salty sometimes the water needs to be changed.) They are also eaten raw with fish sauces. They are also pickled.

Medicinal Uses

The plant is used as a haemostatic. A decoction is considered the best antidote for stings of venomous fish and should be applied externally for an extended period. The leaves are said to be antiscorbutic.

Distribution

A tropical and subtropical plant. It grows on mud flats and sand. It is often associated with mangroves. It occurs in paddy fields. It grows along the sea shore in the Philippines. It occurs along all coasts of Africa. It is very salt tolerant. It grows in the lowlands.

Where It Grows

Africa, American Samoa, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central America*, Chile, China, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Easter Island, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guiana, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Liberia, Malaysia, Maldives, Marquesas, Mauritania, Mediterranean, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, New Caledonia, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, North America, Pacific, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, St. Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies,

Cultivation

It can be grown from cuttings or seeds. It is best in well drained sandy soils. A spacing of 75-150 cm is suitable.

Propagation

Propagate by seed or by rooted stem cuttings.

Other Uses

Sea Purslane is used for erosion control and as ground cover in coastal areas, and can serve as a food source for some wildlife. It is cultivated as a ground cover to prevent erosion in dune vegetation. As a pioneer sand-colonising plant, it grows on the upper beach and seaward slope of the frontal dune or beach ridge, trapping and holding wind-blown sand and tending to form small ridges or mounds. It does not survive complete burial under wind-blown sand. It also grows well in more protected littoral locations and can be included in dune revegetation programmes. The plant has potential for phytoremediation on heavy-metal-polluted sites and has been used as a revegetator for salty areas in the United Arab Emirates.

Other Information

A commonly used minor leafy green used in many tropical countries. Leaves are sold in local markets. It is a cultivated plant.

Notes

There are 8 Sesuvium species. They grow in tropical and subtropical salty locations.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

'Akulikuli, Bossaha, Burunque, Cenicilla, Dampalit, Dhapa, Enhade, Erwi, Gelang laut, Gelang pasir, Haichau, Jadu palang, Krokot, Lonumagoo, Nuntashak, Sagu sagu, Samphire, Sepit-sepit, Sepit, Sesepit, Strandpostelein, Taraumpalit, Te boi, Uondgi, Van kiru valai, Vangarreddi kura, Vungaravasee, Vungaravasi

References (60)

• Alegado, A. M. & De Guzman, R. B., 2014, Indigenous food crops of the Aetas tribe in the Philippines and their traditional methods of food preparation. in Promotion of Underutilized Indigenous Food Resources for Food Security and Nutrition in Asia and Pacific. FAO. Bangkok p 160
• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 570
• Arora, R. K., 2014, Diversity in Underutilized Plant Species - An Asia-Pacific Perspective. Bioversity International. p 46
• Brown, W.H., 1920, Wild Food Plants of the Philippines. Bureau of Forestry Bulletin No. 21 Manila. p 54
• Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1. Kew.

More from Aizoaceae

Sceletium anatomicum

Canna root

Sceletium tortuosum

Sesuvium sesuvioides

Tetragonia decumbens

South African sea spinach, Sea spinach, Dune spinach

Tetragonia fruticosa

Tetragonia implexicoma

Bower spinach, Warrigal Spinach, Ice Plant