Portulaca oleracea, an exotic

Portulaca oleracea, commonly purslane and in Afrikaans varkkos (pig food) or rooipootjieporselein (little red paw purslane), is a naturalised exotic from Europe, now widespread in South Africa, often in places where the soil has been disturbed. About eight indigenous Portulaca species occur in South Africa, while a few more exotic species have settled here.

P. oleracea is a prostrate annual leaf succulent growing a deep taproot. The plant is hairless, its stems reddish and the leaves stalkless, thickly fleshy and round tipped.

The stem-tip flowers are solitary or in groups up to five, surrounded by leaves. The yellow flowers have five rounded, mostly notched petals forming shallow cups. Flowers appear in summer (Van Wyk and Malan, 1997; iNaturalist).