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
C16: from Latin: purslane
portulaca in American English
(ˌpɔrtʃəˈlækə; ˌpɔrtʃəˈlɑkə; ˌpɔrtʃəˈleɪkə)
noun
a fleshy annual plant (Portulaca grandiflora) of the purslane family, usually with yellow, pink, or purple flowers
Word origin
ModL < L, purslane < portula, dim. of porta, door (see port5): from the doorlike opening of the seed capsule