purslane family

Thân thiện

A gardener identifies a small plant as a member of the purslane family.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Family of usually succulent herbs; cosmopolitan in distribution especially in Americas: The "purslane family" is the common name for the plant family Portulacaceae. It refers to a taxonomic group of flowering plants characterized by fleshy, water-storing leaves and stems (succulent herbs). These plants are found worldwide but are especially diverse in the Americas.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Common purslane, a nutritious edible weed, belongs to the purslane family.
  • Botanists study the evolutionary traits of the purslane family.
  • Several species in the purslane family are popular as drought-tolerant ornamental plants.

Advanced Usage

• In botanical taxonomy: The term is used to refer to the family Portulacaceae in informal or common language contexts, as opposed to the formal Latin name.
  • The classification of some genera within the purslane family has been revised by modern genetic studies.

Variants and Related Words

• Portulacaceae (n): The formal, scientific Latin name for the purslane family.
• Purslane (n): A common name for plants within this family, especially .

Synonyms

• Portulacaceae: The direct scientific synonym.

Notes on Meaning

• The "purslane family" specifically denotes a biological family. It is not used idiomatically or in phrasal verbs. Its meaning is fixed within the context of botany and horticulture.

Học thuật

Noun

1. family of usually succulent herbs; cosmopolitan in distribution especially in Americas

Từ đồng nghĩa

• Portulacaceae
• family Portulacaceae