sea purslane Sesuvium portulacastrum, a reddish plant found in hot coastal areas around the world, which belongs to the family Aizoaceae. Its fleshy, succulent leaves may be rinsed to diminish the saltiness and eaten raw as a salad; or cooked; or pickled like samphire (to which it has often been compared). American writers about wild food plants have remarked on its presence in the southern states of the USA, and on its usefulness both as a minor vegetable for human use and as animal feed. It is prized in its pickled version in the Philippines.
