Lythrum portula

Lythrum portula is a species of flowering plant in the loosestrife family known by the common names water-purslane[1] and spatulaleaf loosestrife.[2] It is native to Europe, and it is found in parts of western North America as an introduced species. It often grows in moist habitat, such as marshes. This is a prostrate annual herb producing a hairless, reddish stem up to 25 centimeters long which lies along the ground and roots where its nodes come in contact with wet earth. The slightly fleshy, spoon-shaped leaves are about a centimeter long and greenish to reddish in color. Solitary flowers occur in leaf axils. Flowers often have white or pink petals about a millimeter long, but some lack petals. The fruit is a spherical capsule containing minute seeds.

Lythrum portula
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Lythraceae
Genus:	Lythrum
Species:	L. portula
Binomial name
Lythrum portula (L.) D.A.Webb
Synonyms
Peplis portula L.