Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PURS'LAIN, n. [It. porcellana, porcelain and purslain; Sp. verdolaga, purslain, which seems to be green leek, green plant. The Portuguese write very corruptly beldroega. The Latin is portulaca. See Leek.]

A plant of the genus Portulaca. The sea purslain is of the genus Atriplex. The tree sea purslain is the Atriplex halimus. [See Purslain tree.] The water Purslain is of the genus Peplis. – Lee.