Portulaca oleracea: foliage

Portulaca oleracea, known in English as "common purslane", "wild portulaca", "verdolaga", "pigweed", "little hogweed", "pursley", or "pusley", and in French as pourpier potager or pourpier gras, is a succulent annual probably native to Eurasia. It's easy to identify because let's face it, how many succulents volunteer in Toronto gardens?

Purslane is a common weed here in Toronto, and can produce surprisingly lush growth in only the smallest amount of soil, e.g. in a sidewalk crack. The leaves are not only edible, they are fairly tasty and contain more omega-3 fatty acids than any other leafy vegetable. So next time you're weeding, why not save and wash the purslane? You can eat it raw or cooked; try some of these recipes!

Descurainia sophia in bloom

The flixweed (sagesse des chiurgiens) is in bloom, and starting to set seed. Now that it has seedpods, I know that this is non-native D. sophia, rather than native D. pinnata (see details on distinguishing the two). A shame. I do like the lacy bluish foliage.

Euphorbia peplus foliage

Euphorbia peplus, known in English as "petty spurge" or "radium weed" and in French as ésule ronde or euphorbe péplus, is an annual native to Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa. I think it's rather pretty, but apparently its sap is poisonous: it can irritate the skin and eyes (though I haven't had any problems pulling it out bare-handed), and causes "complications" when eaten.

Descurainia sophia: foliage

Descurainia sophia, known in English as "flixweed", "flixweed tansymustard", "herb Sophia", or "pinnate tansymustard", and in French as sagesse des chirurgiens, sisymbre sagesse, or sisymbre sophia, is an annual or biennial native to Eurasia. At this stage of development, it looks very similar to the native D. pinnata; later on it can be distinguished by its seedpods.

Plantago lanceolata

Plantago lanceolata, known in English as "ribwort plantain" or "English plantain" and in French as plantain lancéolé or herbe à cinq coutures is a perennial native to Europe and north-central Asia. Click to enlarge the photo and get a better look at the tiny white flowers.

I photographed this plant in a vacant lot on Elm west of Bay.

Malva neglecta

Malva neglecta, known in English as "common mallow", "buttonweed", "cheeseplant", "cheeseweed", "dwarf mallow" or "roundleaf mallow", and in French as "mauve à feuilles rondes", is native to Eurasia and north Africa. I photographed this plant in a vacant lot on Elm west of Bay.